State Of The Union
by TomTheCat1
Summary: This story is the direct sequel to The Agent. It's been two years since the outbreak of the Dollar Flu, but things are far from normal. America's most important city is in shambles, criminals, warlords and psychopaths roam free, and that's just the start. Jay and Sarah have some catching up to do, but will their new relationship survive their most important mission yet?
1. Wake up Call

**Welcome back, all!**

**Back by (sort of) popular demand, Sarah and Jay (and a few of their friends) have returned. After a short break from the action, duty calls once again. While a sequel wasn't exactly planned, and since I've been playing the hell out of The Division 2, I think it's only fair that we continue on. **

**I hope this story gets a much smoother start than the previous.**

**I'm also learning the ropes of FanFiction, so hopefully the chapters will be better constructed.**

**Anyway, that's enough dawdling. On with the show!**

* * *

**Center Boulevard**

**Long Island City, Queens**

**Three Months after Manhattan**

*BZZZ BZZZ*

*BZZZ BZZZ*

Slightly annoyed by being awakened, I clumsily reach for the lit up phone on my nightstand.

*BZZZ BZZ-tap*

"Hello?" I say groggily, still half asleep.

"_Sarah, finally." _Says a familiar voice. "_I've been calling you for ten minutes now!"_

"Faye?" I reply, slightly more alert now. "Wha….what's going on?"

_"I can't explain much over the phone, but I have a contact in Washington, an Agent, who sent out a distress beacon last night. Things are still bad there. I was in contact with her until the signal was lost about an hour ago. I need to find what happened and I need your and Jay's help."_

"Yeah…" I quietly mutter, moving the phone away and turning on the light. "That's a completely reasonable justification for calling your friend at two in the morning."

As I pull myself from Jay's gentle grasp and sit up, my phone screen lights up again and reveals Faye's picture on the caller I.D. She wears an eyepatch and a confident grin on her face.

_"Dima and I are at the Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint." _The phone says. I steal a glance at Jay, who pulls the covers over her head for protection from the light. _"Wake up yourself and Jay, pack some bags, and meet us here." _I bring the phone back to my ear. _"See if Kelly can tag along, too. D.C.'s JTF is just a skeleton crew, and we'll need all the support we can get."_

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." I say, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Just give us a few. We'll be there soon."

Faye hangs up before I can ask any more questions. Sitting up further, I place a hand on Jay's shoulder.

"Jay." I shake her a few times, but she pretends to still be asleep.

"Babe, I saw you move the blanket. Get up."

"Mmmmpf." My best friend-turned-girlfriend grumbles. She rolls onto her back and pushes the covers off, revealing her wearing one of my '30 Seconds Out' shirts that simply reads "STOP WHINING" in large, bold letters.

"What?" She asks sleepily, eyes still closed.

"Faye just called." I stand and stretch. "Something about needing help...trouble in D.C." I try to explain through a loud yawn.

"Nooooooo." She wails tiredly. "I'm too comfortable and you're so warm." She holds out a hand towards me. "Come baaaack."

I shake my head, tying my hair into a ponytail.

"Maybe follow your own advice?" I ask, nodding to the shirt when she opens her eyes. "And wake up while you're at it."

Dropping her hand in defeat, Jay sits up and rubs her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Quarter past two." I say with a deep southern accent.

"Is there no end to your movie and T.V. quotes?" She asks, taking off the shirt and throwing it at me.

"Nope." I grin.

"Secret Window, right?" She asks, but I don't answer. After a moment, Jay sitting there shirtless becomes slightly mesmerising. Her knife wound has healed well, leaving behind a scar that becomes pleasantly distracting during any tender moments we have. She hates when I kiss her there, and more often than not it only makes me do it more.

"Ahem." She grunts, raising a brow and pointing to her eyes. I stick out my tongue in reply and toss her my phone.

"Call Kelly. See what she's up to."

As Jay messes with the phone, I leave to find our old Sea Bags and start a pot of coffee. Out in the kitchen, I pick up pieces of the phone conversation.

_"Kelly! Hi, it's Jay. Good, you're awake."_

…

_"Oh, you know. Can't complain. How about you?"_

…

Bringing two cups with me, I return to the bedroom.

"Good. Hey listen...what are you doing right now? Anything important?"

I pass Jay one of the coffees, placing mine on the dresser and start digging into the closet.

"Perfect. Faye just called us about something going on down in D.C.."

…

"Uh huh."

…

"No. She isn't the type to wake someone up at two a.m. for a Koby's run."

…

"Oh it's happened."

I turn to look at Jay questioningly. She simply mouths "Nothing." to me with a big smile.

"More than once, yeah." Jay says to Kelly with a giggle. I roll my eyes at the memory and continue packing. "So what do you think? You in?"

...

"Awesome!"

...

"Yeah we're packing now. Tell Benitez it's Division business. Ask around in your team, too. The more, the merrier."

…

In the very back of our closet I reach the gun locker, opening it to find Jay's ACR, MK14 and .38 Special on one side and my M249 SAW, M870 and M1911 .45 on the other. I place Jay's weapons in their respective cases first, leaving the revolver in its holster. The cases lean against the dresser as I go back for mine, only to stop when I find an oddly familiar knife hidden where Jay's things were. I pick it up, running my thumb over the Winged Dagger etched into the handle. In the etching, I eye a tiny spot of what looks like dried blood. Then it hits me.

_"This knife was Kenner's!" _I nearly shout. _"He stabbed Jay with it, then she stabbed him. This handle was the first thing I saw upon coming out of my near blackout. Did Jay keep it as some kind of trophy?"_

"Okay...Yeah. We'll see you soon." Jay snaps me out of my train of thought.

*tap*

"Oh, you already packed for me?" Jay asks, standing in front of her weapons. "How sweet of you."

"You kept this?" I ask, turning to face her. "Why?"

"Why not?" She replies simply. "If you think about it, that knife saved the world...It saved you."

"Oh stop." I say, trying to wipe off the blush, only to get a kiss from Jay that makes it worse.

Quickly dressing, Jay begins packing her Sea Bag and Go-Bag. She takes over the packing, so I get dressed myself, opting for my usual black jeans and boots. A stubborn spot of blood on one of the pant legs makes me shudder slightly, but I shake it off. For the finishing touch, my blacked out U.S. flag ball cap, shades resting on the brim and ponytail out the back. Finishing our coffee and strapping on our sidearms, we gather our stuff and head for the door.

_"We'll be back soon."_ I say silently to the door as I turn the lock.

"This brings back memories." Jay huffs as we cram ourselves into the elevator.

"Like?"

"Shipping out."

"Hmm. I see it now." I reply as the elevator closes. I starts to go down, but stops on level two. The doors slide open to reveal the LandLady, who looks at the two of us with a mixed expression of concern and confusion.

"Going down?" I ask.

"I'll take the next one." She replies slowly as the doors close again.

Reaching the street, we find my '98 Chevy 1500 patiently waiting. While she's still missing some paint and there are rust spots, everything else is squared away. I drop my bags into the back, looking up at the apartment building one last time. Jay loads our weapons onto the floor under the backseats as I get in and start the truck.

"On the clock again." Jay says as I pull away from the curb.

Emerging from the Queens Midtown Tunnel shows just how much New York has changed in the last two years. Abandoned cars have been removed from the streets, garbage cleared, and bodies buried. JTF patrols still roam the streets, however none of them seem to dread rounding the next corner of their route. They seem to be less fearful of their surroundings. Despite the early hour, civilians can occasionally be seen wandering around. A group has gathered in Times Square, admiring the lights advertising for things that almost seemed other worldly.

I still remember many a firefight we lived through on these very streets just two short years ago. The streets of the city I call home. I often wonder if I'll be able to look at Manhattan the same way ever again, what with how many people we've killed. How many times we could've died. But it wasn't all bad.

I glance over at Jay, who taps away at her phone, likely talking to Kelly or Faye.

If my experiences in this city have taught me anything, it's the importance of saying what you need to say while you have the chance. That you really don't appreciate what you have until it's taken away. Or at least in my case, _nearly _taken away.

_"I was lucky. Very lucky."_


	2. Aloha

A brief exchange with the JTF checkpoint guards allows us to park at the Base of Operations. Jay and I disembark and head inside. The exterior hasn't changed much, aside from uniform changes. National Guard troops wear OD Green t-shirts and police officers wear their short sleeve button ups.

The inside of the base shows little activity, thanks to the early hour. Jay turns to the security office, while I decide to look for Kelly. Instead, I find myself in a flashback of sorts as I stand in the middle of the Citadel.

I see what appears to be me and Jay during one of our few moments of downtime. A group of people are gathered around the piano area, with us near the center dancing to some upbeat song. A nostalgic smile creeps up as I look around, but quickly vanishes as my eyes rest near the clinic doorway. Now, I'm sitting by the door alone. Battered and beaten, covered with blood, head in my hands as I try to come to terms with the possibility of losing my best friend. Despite Faye's attempt at comforting words, I still fell asleep that night fearing the worst, shortly after nearly bursting into tears in the shower. I still sometimes see that sight of crimson water around my bare feet when I close my eyes. The third-person flashback fades as Kelly approaches from the barracks area.

_"How things have changed." _I think to myself.

"Sarah!" Kelly's sweet voice echoes around the cavernous room.

"Hey, Kell-oof!" I'm cut off by the Guardsman gripping me in a tight hug, which I happily return.

"It's so great to see you." She says, pulling away after a few moments. "I'm sorry I couldn't visit much...barely at all."

"Don't worry, we understand." I reply, taking another look around. "You all had quite a bit of cleaning up to do."

"So… D.C., huh?" She asks. "What's going on there?"

"No idea. Faye didn't say much, other than it's urgent. 'I'll explain when you get here.'" I say, making air quotes.

"Where's 'here'?"

"Lincoln Tunnel. So is anyone other than you coming?"

"I asked around." Kelly replies. "Upton, Finnigan and Miller are in. I talked to the Skipper, and he said go for it."

"Perfect." I rub my hands together, before Jay calls us over. Kelly and I head to the security wing where Captain Benitez greets us.

"Good to see you again, Sarah."

"You as well, Sir." We share a tight handshake.

"Jaylene says you two know about as much as I do about where you're going and why."

"Unfortunately so." I reply. "Faye's phone briefing was...well...brief."

"Some things never change, eh?" He says with a smile. "Well, I'm sure Lambert has told you she's coming along, as well as anyone who volunteers from her team."

Kelly and I nod almost in unison.

"I'm only being lenient A: Because it's the two of you, and I trust you both to take care of them, and B: Manhattan is finally returning to it's old, quiet self again. The same is true for quite a few other cities around the country… except for D.C. I suppose."

"You didn't know?"

"While it's true, there hasn't been really any communication between Washington and anybody else, for the most part we were focused on ourselves and our city. Didn't give it any thought. Hard to, given the circumstances."

"Well, hopefully we'll be able to fix that." Jay says confidently.

"I thought I heard familiar voices." Says someone off to the side. I turn to see Dr. Jessica Kandel in the doorway to the office.

"Guess who dropped by, Doc." Benitez announces, gesturing to us.

"Agents, stop by the clinic when you get a moment." Dr. Kandel says. "I believe I still owe you both something." She quickly leaves us with the Captain again.

"Well, you three best get a move on." He says, looking to me. "It's good to see you both still kicking. Fix whatever's broken, and bring everyone back in one piece."

"Will do, Sir." I reply sharply.

While Kelly leaves to check on her team, Jay and I head for the clinic.

_"There it is again." _I say to myself.

Another flashback. This time, at Jay's bedside. The exact moment I kissed her for the first time. On the head, anyway.

"Good, you're here." Dr. Kandel's voice snaps me back. She reaches into the bottom of one of the nearby cabinets, returning with two bottles of wine.

"I at least try to keep my promises." She says somewhat sheepishly. Jay picks up a bottle, reading the label.

"Oliver Cherry Moscato?" She asks.

"In English," Jessica explains, "It's light and sweet. Not heavy and overpowering like some wines. This is one of my favorites. I think you'll like it, too."

I pick up the other bottle, rolling it in my hands a few times.

"Thank you, Doctor." I say with a nod.

"One for each of you." She says with a grin. "I can easily finish two by myself. I'm not sure if you'll find Gin and cranberry juice wherever you're going, but I recommend looking around. I have a bit of a weakness to Cherry Chirps. Mixed or on it's own, it's best ice cold."

"We'll definitely keep an eye out." Says Jay, tucking her bottle under her arm. I shoot a glance towards the counseling area to see that Dr. Mercer is absent.

"Is Dr. Mercer still here?" I ask.

"Oh of course. But he's not a night owl like us. Want to leave a message for him?" Jessica asks politely.

"Tell him, "Jaylene and Sarah are doing well, and thank you for the advice."" I say, shooting Jay a smile.


	3. Shipping Out

**"Pile in, everyone." **Sarah says to our JTF compatriots as we head towards her truck. As she and I get in, the others toss their bags into the bed. Upton and Miller take the rear, while Finnigan joins us in the cab.

"Road trip!" He says excitedly, trying to cram his tall self into the tiny backseat.

"Wanna trade?" The shorter Upton asks, watching this happen. Finnigan looks at what he's trying to do, then at the open truck bed.

"Yeah, okay." He gives in and hops in back with Miller.

"You can play musical chairs later." Sarah calls as she starts the truck. "It's nearly a four hour ride, give or take a bit for traffic."

"Good one." Kelly says.

"Hey, I've never seen Faye or Dima drive." Sarah defends her comment. "They could be like being stuck behind an old person."

"Well, you have passengers _and _cargo back here, so don't go too fast, Sarah." Miller replied through the sliding window.

"I make no promises." Sarah calls back as she pulls away, before giving a farewell *honk* to the base and remaining JTF. Just around the corner is the Lincoln Tunnel Checkpoint, where Faye stands behind an SUV with her arms crossed.

"About time." She says with mock annoyance as Sarah and I get out. Kelly fumbles with the seat back in an attempt to join us.

"Sorry we aren't awake all hours of the night." Sarah replies sarcastically, sharing a handshake that turns into a bro-hug with Faye.

"It's great to see you both." She says happily. "Thank you for coming along."

"So…" Kelly says, finally clambering out of the truck. "Why are we going to Washington?"

"Contrary to the rest of the country, things have continued to deteriorate in the Capitol." Dima comes up next to Faye as she speaks and we bump fists.

"Word of failed containments, an attempt at a cure that only made things worse, even JTF defectors. There's only two active Agents left in D.C. and they're barely holding things together. I know the both of them, and they asked me _directly _for help. Which is something they wouldn't do unless it's truly important."

Sarah, Kelly and I exchange worried expressions as we absorb what Faye has told us.

"What about the cure we created?" Sarah asks. "Surely that should've calmed things down by now?"

Faye looks down. "It was sent out, but my contact tells me they never arrived. The JTF's Base of Operations is the White House. We start there, then find what to do from there. The SHD network is also experiencing a nation-wide blackout, so re-activation won't be official until it's back online." She looks past us at the truck. "Anyone else come along?"

"Three of my people." Kelly answers. "Upton, Miller and Finnigan."

"Two of them are in the truck bed." I add, answering Faye's next question of where could they fit.

"I would offer them a lift with us, but…" She gestures to Dima, who is trying to reach for something in the backseat, but a pile of his and Faye's stuff tumbles out, partially burying him.

"Cyka!" He shouts in frustration. "Ah, nevazhno."

Kelly and I can't help but laugh at his predicament.

"They'll be fine." Sarah says assuringly. "We'll trade seats if necessary."

"Alright then. Saddle up and follow us. Keep your phones on. Get comfy, too. It's a long trip."

We all head to our respective vehicles, climbing into ours as Faye helps Dima reload theirs.

"Wow." Kelly says quietly after a moment. "That's quite a bit to take in." From the tone of her voice, I can tell she's having second thoughts.

"It'll be okay." Sarah replies, starting the truck. "If we stay together, We'll get through it and be back here in time for chow."

"Chow…" Finnigan echoes from the back. "Great. Now I'm hungry."

"I told you to eat before we left." Upton calls to him.

Sarah lights a cigarette as we enter the Lincoln Tunnel, blowing the smoke out the window.

"Hey, Upton." She says, passing the pack and lighter to him. "Welcome back to active duty." He accepts the pack of Big Break 'Smooth Blues'.

"Pass it around. I brought two whole cartons."


	4. Take a Drive

**I-295 South**

**New Jersey/Pennsylvania State Line**

**Two hours later**

Sarah's CD collection has worked wonders with helping make the time go by. Somehow, 'I Spy' gets dull quite quickly when the only things around us are trees and lines of abandoned cars. Earlier on, Finnigan kept trying to start 'Punch Buggy' with Miller, who threatened to push his friend into the next Beetle they saw if he did it again. A few times we had to leave the highway because all the lanes were blocked. So far, we've only stopped near Trenton to find fuel. Tanks full, we moved on before attracting any unwanted attention.

Those of us who haven't fallen asleep have been enjoying Sarah's burned CDs which house a mixture of her favorites from the '40s and '50s with The Andrews Sisters and Dion, all the way up to the mid '90s with The Offspring, and a little of everything in between. We got about halfway through Johnny Cash's 'I've Been Everywhere' before I tuned out and focused on one sign in the distance:

**EXIT 6**

**I-95S to I-276W**

**Penn. Turnpike**

**Philadelphia**

**1 Mile**

_"I haven't been this close to home in so long." _I nearly say out loud. _"I know I consider anywhere with Sarah home, but my city is...right there." _For a time, I consider asking to take a detour, but in the back of my mind I know that our new mission is more important.

That is until Sarah merges towards the exit.

* * *

**Meanwhile...**

**It seems like **Faye can't keep her eye off her side view mirror. As if she's afraid that Sarah will suddenly stop and turn around. Her truck's headlights have been at a respectful distance since the start of the trip, and at this point we're closer to our destination than we are to home.

"They'll be fine." I say with a knowing tone to my co pilot, returning my attention to the road.

"I know." She replies, finally looking away. "It's just that... my field experience with their little...posse is limited to say the least."

"If you don't trust them, why bring them along?" I ask bluntly. Faye gives me a look through her good eye.

"Of course I trust Sarah." She says matter-of-factly. "Jay too. And it isn't that. This whole thing must be so alien to them. I wish I explained just how bad things are in D.C..."

I nod, weaving around a fallen tree in the road. "If you gave their rundown to me...well lets just say I would need more convincing."

"So would I." Faye sounds frustrated with herself. "But the more I explain it, the less believable it sounds. I mean God knows how those people have held on for so long. It's been two _years. _Manhattan almost fell in two months!"

Out of habit, I glance up into the rear view. Then do a double take when I notice the yellowish glow of Sarah's headlights is missing.

"Where the hell did they go?!" My companion demands almost at the same time.

* * *

**We had already** agreed on a route, and to not deviate unless Faye said to. I look to Sarah for an explanation, only to have her wink at me and continue bobbing her head to the song.

_'I've been to Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika_

_Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica_

_Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport_

_Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport_

_Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina_

_Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean'a…'_

As we let Dima continue to the Jersey Turnpike, we merge to stay on I-95. Sarah says nothing as we cross the Penn state line, at least until her phone rings.

"Y'ello?" She says calmly.

_"Sarah, where are you going?" _I hear Faye ask sternly through the speaker. _"We already have a route decided on."_

"Taking the scenic route. Jay is from Philly."

_"There's no time. I doubt they'll let you in anyway."_

"That's why I'm staying on 95. We're just passing it. We can meet up again further south in Wilmington...unless you're coming."

_"I...fine. Dima, turn around. But after this, no more field trips."_

"Roger-dodger." Sarah says simply before hanging up.

"Sarah, you shouldn't have." I say.

"Of course I should." She insists as Dima and Faye settle in behind us. "I've shown you my hometown top to bottom. It's about time you showed me yours."

* * *

**"I _knew_ something **would happen." Faye growls as I take the spot behind our comrades. The two in the back appear to have been awakened by the small commotion Sarah's little stunt caused.

"What are you going to do? Punish them?" I ask with a scoff. "Sarah's reasoning seems as good as any."

"There can't be any delay." The slender woman at my side protests. "This way will add nearly an extra hour to the trip. NOT including if and when we get stopped by any security Philadelphia may have kicking around."

"I'm sure that as long as we stay on the highway, we'll be fine." I try to sound reassuring. Faye's little sister Heather mentioned something about her temper. After hearing that ECHO, I hoped to never see it first hand, or at very least not be the cause. "Besides, in my experience, idu domoy - going home or at least being able to see it helps greatly with morale. Judging by how deliberate Sarah sounded, she's been planning on doing this for a while. Jaylene has likely not been home for a long time."

Faye lets out a heavy sigh and looks at me with a nod.

"You...you're right, Dima. Alani's last communication just sounded so desperate. Like she was reaching out to anyone for help. And it's been a long time since I've seen her."

"Once we get to Washington, everything will be okay. You'll see." I say with a smile, patting Faye's knee.

"Yeah. Yeah I know." She replies, placing her hand on top of mine.

* * *

**The rising sun** reveals that Philly weathered the storm rather well. There's no real sign of any aftermath of complete chaos like New York still shows. I've turned the music down to help Jay have her moment as we roll down 95 past the colossal city.

"Over there!" She says excitedly, pointing to a small neighborhood in the northern part of town. "Harrowgate. Part of Kensington."

"How long has it been?" Kelly asks behind us.

"Let's see…" Jay starts counting on her fingers. "...joined the Marines in '04, then shipped out to Afghanistan and later Bosnia. Came back in '06, then left again for the desert later that year. Came back early to join the Division in April '07. Then you came back in June." She gestures to me. "I came back here after training, then went to New York in July… and I haven't been back since. So that's…"

"Six years." I conclude. "Approximately."

"Woah…" Kelly says. "Is that a battleship?"

I turn to look towards the river, where a massive warship is docked on the other side.

"That's U.S.S. New Jersey." Jay replies. "And that's Camden. She's a museum ship now. Most decorated ship in the US Navy. Been there...I couldn't tell you how many times. Almost went Navy because of it."

"Good thing you didn't, huh?" Kelly points out, nodding to me.

"Oh, stop." I say, waving off the comment.

"Hey, don't sell yourself too short." Jay says, thumping my leg. "It _is _a good thing I didn't go."

I wrinkle my nose at her, and shortly after, we're on our way out of city limits.

"Thank you, Sarah." Jay says with a sigh. "Seeing home again… I needed that."

"Shame we couldn't actually go in." I point out.

"We will. On the way back." Says Kelly hopefully.

Jay nods with a smile, tear in her eye. "Yeah… we will."

_'I've been everywhere…'_


	5. New Kids in Town

"Woah…" Upton says under his breath.

**I-695 West**

**Capitol Hill**

**Washington, D.C.**

**Three Hours Later**

I slowly roll to a stop just before the next off ramp. Ahead of us on the highway is total carnage. Everyone exits their vehicles and walks as far as they can onto the bridge.

Collapsed buildings, floodwater, even wrecked boats litter the area completely blocking the route we were going to take. An area further past appears to have tall concrete walls with biohazard symbols on them.

"Is this from that big storm we had a few years back?" Faye asks nobody in particular. I barely hide a shudder from the others from the memory. Jay and I were in Flatiron when it hit. Trapped outside, we eventually made our way to Madison's Last Stand. That blizzard made Sandy look like a summer breeze.

"Whatever it was," Dima sums up. "We can go no further this way."

"This exit'll take us to Independence Avenue." I suggest. "I hear it's in the running for an originality award."

Faye nods, not taking her eye off the destroyed roadway.

At the end of the ramp, we find a gate built by the National Guard that was later driven through by some desperate escapees. Whether or not they were successful is unknown, as the car is riddled with bullet holes, but there are no bodies. Further past is what appears to be a JTF checkpoint guarded by several people in very worn out uniforms. In the back, Finnigan sees this and waves to the men, only to have them aim at him.

"Hold it!" He shouts. "JTF!"

Two of the men exchange glances, then open fire on us as The D4's 'Come On!' starts to blare through the speakers.

"Holy shit!" Miller yells in surprise, pulling his friend back into the bed.

Ducking as low as I can, I slam the gas, turning sharply onto Independence. Faye follows close behind as rounds fly all around. One narrowly misses Jay and hits the windshield, making a spider web of cracks. As fewer and fewer shots come at us, I begin to slow down, weaving between abandoned cars in the road.

"What. The hell. Was THAT?!" Kelly shouts.

"Good question!" Miller replies from the back. "We're okay back here, if anyone's wondering."

Turning onto 17th and approaching Constitution, a battered White House come into view, as well as a group of people wearing white tank tops and riot helmets.

"Now whose this?" Jay asks.

The group stops as we approach. One takes out a police baton and stares directly at me.

"Those don't look like cops." Kelly observes. Not taking any chances, I gun the engine again, aiming directly for the baton lady. She swings it tauntingly as her comrades raise their weapons. Before they can open fire, the hood and bumper connect, creating a shallow dent under the girl. The glass eyepieces of her mask shatter and her helmet flies off, revealing some quite matted blonde hair. By now, Miller and Finnigan have their weapons ready and open fire on the rest of the group. Grabbing at the slippery metal hood, Baton Girl slowly slides down until she finally falls. My tires come next, effectively turning her into a speed bump.

"Jesus!" Jay yells in surprise.

"I hope she has insurance!" I shout my reply.

We continue at full speed until another gate comes into view. The few people there rise at the sound of two sets of screeching tires. They look at us with a mix of surprise and confusion as one of them slowly approaches with her weapon ready. After a moment, I notice the BDU pants and a green t-shirt with 'JTF' stenciled on the front.

"Finally." I whisper with relief. "Friendlies."

"Drivers!" The JTF officer orders. "Turn off your engines! All passengers, hands where we can see them!" Then she looks to me. "You! Driver! Step out slowly with your hands above your head!"

A silence falls over the street that I've never heard before. All that can be heard is the crinkle from our tired car engines, and the groan of my door slowly opening. No birds, no breeze gliding through the trees, nothing. I stand, hands raised, until one of the other officers off to the side notices something.

"What's that on your shoulder?" He calls. "Division patch? You Division?"

I nod slowly, hands still up.

The lead officer lets her rifle hang down and waves to her compatriots. She walks up to me and I start to lower my hands, only to have her grab one and shake it tightly.

"You're a damn sight for sore eyes, Agent." She says with an exhausted tone.


	6. Welcome to The Jungle

"I see you've introduced yourselves to the locals." Division Coordinator Manny Ortega says with a grin to the group of Agents and soldiers in front of him.

"So we have, Manny." Faye replies. "Who attacked us?"

"Based on your descriptions, it was the True Sons and Hyenas….respectively. The True Sons are Joint Task Force mutineers, and the Hyenas are wandering criminals and scumbags. Most of them have histories of violence and drug abuse."

"That would explain why that one was so easy to run over." I mumble to Jay. "Must've been stoned off her tits."

"So where are the Agents we're supposed to be helping?" Kelly asks.

"Agents 'Knight', 'Sheriff' and 'Rocket' are all on priority missions of their own, but I do have something for you: Air Force One was shot down on it's way into D.C. last week, and the Hyenas made it to the crash site first. They took something off the plane, what it is...we don't know. It was obviously important, since they brought it to the vault of the World Bank Headquarters in Downtown West."

"Was the President on board?" I inquire, worried about both answers.

"Yes." Manny finally says after a long moment. "Ellis is MIA at the moment."

"Wait… Ellis?" Jay asks. "What happened to Waller?" Manny shakes his head.

"You all missed quite alot in New York." He says glumly. "During the outbreak, shortly after activating Directive 51, President Waller passed from a heart attack. His second, VP Mendez took over and tried to take control, but the pressure of a rapidly collapsing nation got to him, too. He was only in office for about a month until he… took his own life."

Our group is taken aback by this news. How could we have missed so much?

"Now, Ellis is the last one, and he's missing." Manny concludes. "I think that finding whatever the Hyenas took from Air Force One is the key to finding him. I have people bringing in your belongings. The barracks are downstairs in the East Wing. Gather whatever you need, then head out."

We all begin to head for the stairs when Manny speaks up again.

"1st Sgt. Lambert. I hate to ask, but I need your men to stay here at the base. There hasn't been a real shift rotation in a while, and my guys are running on empty."

Kelly shrugs.

"They won't like the idea, but you're the boss around here."

"Thank you. And Agents...Odessa Sawyer, the head of the Theater Settlement, asked for a check-in for any new Agents coming into D.C. Can one of you make the trip?"

The four of us exchange glances with each other.

"Should we draw straws?" I ask.

"Don't bother." Says Dima. "I will go."

"Alright then ladies…" Manny looks at Dima. "...and gentleman, best get a move on."

* * *

"So I guess we're working together...separately?" Miller asks as we gather our weapons and check for any last minute items.

"It doesn't matter if we're in separate units or not working together directly." Kelly replies reassuringly, slinging her M16 over her shoulder. "We're still at team." She looks between her men and Dima, who will all be taking different paths during their stay in D.C.. "Anything you're told to do, just pretend I'm giving the order. Or Sarah, or Benitez."

"I'm surprised all four of us aren't being sidelined." Upton muses, putting away his ACUs in favor of the ERDL trousers and green t-shirts the other JTF members are wearing.

"Then we would be down two guns, instead of one." Faye gestures to Dima, who is fiddling with the rifle strap on his AK.

Suddenly, our Smart Watches light up bright orange, signifying re-activation.

*INTELLIGENT SYSTEM ANALYTIC COMPUTER IS ACTIVATED* ISAC announces once again. *ALL 'ISAC' SYSTEMS CONFIRMED ONLINE*

"Well," I say after a moment. "I guess the 'Sheriff' finished his mission."

"I'll be honest." Jay says somewhat glumly. "I was hoping to _never_ hear ISAC's voice _ever _again."

"It just means we're officially on the clock again." I point out. "And it shows we're Agents and not just...civilian volunteers or something."

"Would've been cool to be incognito for at least a little while." My companion replies.

"Jay." Faye says. "Come on. The shit we get into? Only ISAC can get us out. Not Manny, not the JTF or the Militia. ISAC."

"I suppose that's true."

"While there are exceptions…" The boss points to Kelly, who shrugs modestly. "ISAC is the go-to."

We stow anything we aren't bringing and head for the South Lawn.

* * *

"I honestly didn't expect the White House to be so...homely." Says Kelly as we walk into the hot, humid sunlight.

"Why do you say that?" I ask curiously, rolling my smoke pack into my sleeve after readying one to light.

"Well, it always used to be portrayed as the epicenter. So official, so...perfect, so secure." The Guardsman looks up at the tattered american flag on the roof. "Now...it just looks like someone's house. A very expensive one, of course, but it's just a house."

"That's what it always was." Jay replies as I flick my lighter a few times. "Just a house. It's the people who live there who are important."

"Hmm." Kelly hums, sounding unconvinced. "So this is where we part ways?" Jay and I stop and turn to our group.

Finnigan, Miller and Upton stand together near the entrance to the White House, looking out of place missing the tired faces the rest of the JTF troops wear. Dima has started to wander to the East entrance, taking in the layout of the city around us.

"I suppose so." He says gruffly.

"We'll be here." Miller says. "Waiting."

"See if you can get yourselves slated for a patrol or something." Kelly replies dismissively.

"I'll keep them in line." Upton says, receiving a shove from Finnigan. "Stay safe, Lambert."

"Eh, I'll be fine. I've got three Division Agents at my disposal." She says cheekily. Jay and I exchange glances behind her.

"Did I say that out loud?"

"We head back here." Dima says, pointing to the spot we're all standing at. "When we complete our objectives."

"Be careful, Dima." Faye says, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You too, Faye." He replies with a nod and what looks like a faint smile before heading off. She turns back to us and ignores the looks of questioning.

"Let's roll, kiddos." She orders, readying her FN SCAR-L.


	7. Musical Thoughts

**"There she was **just walkin' down the street." Sarah sings as we walk.

"Singin' Doo wah diddy, diddy dum diddy doo." Jay follows.

"Poppin' her fingers and shufflin' her feet." Kelly pipes up.

"Singin' Doo wah diddy, diddy dum diddy doo!"

"She looked good."

"(She looked good.)"

"She looked fine!"

"(She looked good, she looked fine.)"

"And I nearly lost my mind!"

I can't help but smile at the friends around me. Despite the seriousness of the situation, it seems Sarah always finds a way to lighten the mood. The trio re-enacts something from a movie Jay calls 'Stripes' where the characters sing along to Manfred Man or something.

Instead of joining in, I find myself racking my brain thinking about what these 'Hyenas' could've taken from Air Force One. From what Manny told us, they're just opportunists. Amateur raiders and thugs, much like their wild animal counterpart. While they do have some leadership structure, that intel has called 'The Council', their Packs operate largely independently from each other. They couldn't have shot down the plane, but how did they reach it first? Especially since it crashed in True Sons territory. According to our new friend at the White House, Air Force One crashed in front of the Capitol Building.

_"That must be why the True Sons set up that checkpoint there."_

"Before I knew it," Glancing up, I see Jay take a few wide strides to place herself next to Sarah. "She was walkin' next to me!"

"Doo wah diddy, diddy dum diddy doo." Kelly sings, watching the spectacle.

Jay takes Sarah's hand and holds it up high.

"Holdin' my hand, just as natural as can be!"

The singing is interrupted by the three of them laughing.

That leads me to the True Sons. Why would the JTF fall victim to mutiny? Are they already not stretched thin as it is? And why did the bulk of them evacuate and force the civilians form a Militia? Arriving here has definitely left us with more questions than answers.

I begin to tune into Kelly's next song.

"...when you say."

"I want it that way."

"Ugh. I _hate _that song." Sarah grumbles.

"Tell me why!" Jay sings with a smug smile.

"Ain't nothing but a headache." Sarah says, covering her ears.

"Tell me why!"

"Ain't nothing but a mistake."

"Tell me why I never want to hear you say."

"I hate you always."

Kelly can't help but laugh at Sarah.

"What's wrong? Don't like the Backstreet Boys?" Jay asks.

"No." Her companion replies. "I only listen to good music. That is the name of my oldies CD after all."

"To each their own." Kelly says with a shrug.

_"Faye?"_ My earpiece suddenly crackles. _"Faye. It's Kelso."_

"Alani!" I reply, making the others stop. "It's….good to hear from you."

_"Yeah. This damn comm is finally working again. You can thank Tommy for that."_

"Is he this 'Sheriff' we've heard so much about?"

_"Yes. Manny gave us all little nicknames. Mine is Knight for example, and Odessa is Eagle. Anyway, I've done some recon on your target: the World Bank Headquarters. Someone's driven a truck through the main entrance, so you'll have to take the side door. Place is swarming with Hyenas. Be careful in there."_

"Thanks for the heads up,...'Knight'. Lau out."


	8. Back on The Grid

**"Hold up." **Jay says. "Did that guy say 'President'?" We're all taken aback by the radio interception.

"That must be this 'package' they stole from Air Force One." Sarah and Faye say at almost the same time. Our first mission in D.C. just went from a simple snatch and grab to a principal level hostage rescue.

"Sounds like it's time to go 'Taken' on these assholes!" I declare, sliding a fresh magazine into my M16.

"Not so fast, Rambo." Jay replies, deflating me rather quickly. "We don't know where he is, or how many Hyenas are between us and him. Ellis could be in the next room at gunpoint for all we know."

Sarah moves to the massive vault door in front of us.

"Then let's stop dawdling and get in there." She says, tapping an override code into the keypad. The large wheel on the door starts to spin, then the door itself slowly opens, revealing several pallets overflowing with stacks of dollar bills ranging from ones to hundreds.

"Too bad these aren't worth jack anymore." Sarah says as we walk in. Faye eyes her and the pallets nervously.

"I think we should be more concerned about the possibility of contamination." She says seriously.

"We've all been vaccinated." My friend points out. "Besides, ISAC? Got a scan?"

*ROOM TESTS NEGATIVE FOR VIRAL CONTAMINATION* Our AI companion chirps. Sarah flashes Faye a "_Told you so." _look and receives a glare in response.

_"Agents." _Says Manny over the comm. _"You'll need to tap into the bank's security system to find the President. Have ISAC do a search."_

Faye reaches the computer first, in a loft room inside the vault.

*BEGINNING SEARCH QUERY: ELLIS, ANDREW* ISAC announces.

*WARNING: HOSTILE FORCES APPROACHING*

*HEAVILY ARMORED HOSTILE DETECTED*

"Uh oh." Is all I can manage after a moment of silence. We all move to different areas of the room. Sarah takes the middle, taking aim at the vault door. Faye goes to the top of the stairs we came up, and I follow Jay to the right.

A pulse of orange light suddenly fills the room, painting the Hyenas red even through their smoke screen. Then, several whirring sounds come from Faye's location. Moments later, a number of explosions ring out, killing some of the Hyenas and injuring more.

**"Why do you **guys get all the fun toys?" The guardsman at my side pouts over the gunfire, looking down at her worn M16.

"Because we're Agents." I reply cheekily, reaching for my own gadget. "Here."

"What's this?"

"My new drone!"

As I say the word, the drone's four rotors unfold and start to spin. It lifts out of Kelly's hands and hovers above us.

"Pick one!" I call over a long burst from Sarah. I hold my Watch out for Kelly to see as it displays a small 3D map of the room with all of the marked hostiles. She taps one and the drone flies away, opening up on a Hyena running towards us and blasting him to pieces.

"I...am….GOD!" Kelly shouts maniacally, tapping on another target, the hulking tank of a man the Hyenas refer to as 'Roach'. His heavy armor deflects most of the incoming rounds but the drone slowly begins to chew into it.

After another machine gun burst, I peek over our cover to see a Hyena standing in the middle of the room, screaming at the sight of his now missing arm.

"I hope that wasn't your jerking off arm!" Sarah shouts, before firing again to finish him off. With most of the room now empty, only Roach remains.

*SEARCH COMPLETE. SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ELLIS, ANDREW... LOCATED*

"Well that was easy." Kelly says.

"Not easy yet!" Faye replies. "There's still this guy to deal with!"

"Reloading!" Sarah calls out, the barrel of her SAW giving off a faint red glow. "Who is this dude? War Machine?!"

"Eh…" I shout back. "I would've gone with Iron Man, but that works too!"

"Less talking more shooting, Agents!" Faye yells, silencing us as Roach closes in on her. Faye dives into the room near Sarah, narrowly missing his massive machine gun. Sarah redirects hers, opening up on the colossal mass of armor. Suddenly, the chest piece shears off making Roach stagger and look down in horror at his deteriorating suit. Kelly pops out and squeezes off several bursts that all hit center mass. Roach falls to his knees, then onto his face, lifeless.

Sarah stands and wipes several beads of sweat from her face.

"Man…" She says between breaths. "It is good to be back!"

Kelly approaches the body, tapping Roach's shoulder with her boot.

"Ey!" She says with a New York sounding accent, pointing her rifle at him.

_"ISAC."_ Says Manny. _"Find a way out of the vault."_

*SEARCHING FOR: A WAY OUT OF THE VAULT… NO MATCHES*

_"Piece of shit wristwatch." _Manny grumbles. _"Okay, Agents. There's a maintenance shaft here that leads to Ellis' location."_

Our Watches point us to a wall on the other side of the vault.

_"It's a long shot, but from where I'm sitting, it's the only way forward. You'll have to blast your way through. I'll disable any alarms."_

"I don't think Tony would join up with the Hyenas." Sarah says cheekily as we leave the room.

"Are you done?" Faye asks with growing frustration.

"Hold on…" My companion stops for a moment. "Civil War. Okay now I'm done."

With an exasperated sigh, Faye pushes past to the wall we're meant to go through.

"Why so tightly wound, Faye?" I ask cautiously.

"It's our first time back in the game." Sarah follows. "Live a little."

"Because," Faye snaps, not looking away from the explosives she's wiring. "This mission is everything The Division represents. The continuity of government. Think about it: Rescuing the President...of the United States...from a hostage situation." The boss stands up and places her face inches away from Sarah's. Despite the latter's shorter stature, she stands her ground with casual confidence.

"Do you understand how important that is?" She asks slowly.

"I certainly do." Sarah replies, seeming unfazed. "Which is why we should treat this like any other mission. Cool and calm, but don't leave out any witty dialogue."

"This isn't a game, Sarah." There's a noticeable bite in Faye's voice.

"I don't recall saying it was."

Kelly steps between the two women and gently pushes them away from each other. "I'd hate to break up a tender moment, but…" She gestures to Faye's half finished wiring job. After a moment, Sarah steps back and holds her hand in the same direction.

"After you, oh Captain my Captain." She says in her typical sarcastic voice, only to receive a hard slap on the shoulder from me.

"Would you stop?" I say in Faye's defence as she returns to the wall.

"She started it." My companion says under her breath, before wandering a short distance away to poke through a Hyena's backpack. I shake my head and simply stand with Kelly, waiting for Faye to finish.

"What is it that Sarah said?" My friend whispers. "Something about unstoppable forces and immovable objects?"

"Something like that." I reply as a large hole is blasted into the wall.


	9. Operation: GOALPOST

**"I don't like this** shit, bro." One Hyena says to another as I quietly rest my machine gun against the bannister in front of us. "Why do we gotta stay here with this guy?"

The balcony gives us an unparalleled view of the room. Down below and across the way are several Hyenas, most of which pace around anxiously. The long firefight in the vault ended with none of their friends returning, and a fear of our survival that will soon become reality.

"Because that's what Roach and Mayhem told us to do." The second Hyena replies, their voices muffled by their gas masks. The two stand on either side of a suit-clad man kneeling on the floor, whom ISAC has identified as President Ellis.

"Fuck that! Roach is probably dead and Mayhem ain't even here! I say we take him to the Arena."

"Oh yeah, genius? Who's gonna escort him there? You? It's on the other side of town, _past _the White House. Besides, how do _you _know Roach is dead?" The Hyena looks in our direction towards the vault, but doesn't see us. "He has that name for a reason."

"It's those Division creeps." His friend replies worriedly. "We sent everyone on our crew and their mothers into that fuckin' vault after them, and nobody's come out. They're all smoked, dude. Even Roach."

"Either way, there's nowhere for us to go. Rebound is on his way here. Let's just wait for him."

"Ugh. Whatever."

The distraught Hyena walks away, and our group ducks back down out of view.

"Well, there he is." Jay whispers. "How should we play this?" She asks no one in particular. Faye looks at the three of us quietly for a moment.

"Kelly." She says quietly. "You stay up here with me. Jay, I want you and Sarah down there." Faye points to an overturned couch off to the left. "You'll take the first shot. At that guy by Ellis. Kelly and I will engage on your go. Sarah, you'll make the grab, so I'd keep that shotty handy."

I'm caught off guard by Faye's order. I personally, will be saving the President.

"You sure you don't want the honor?" I ask with surprisingly no sarcasm.

She gestures to her eye patch. "Quite." Is her simple reply. She looks over the railing again. "Looks like you have a window. Go."

I take the lead, with Jay following close behind. A very tattered looking ottoman catches our short fall from the collapsed part of the balcony. My companion readies her MK14 and takes position where Faye directed. I, while keeping Jay in view, move to flank to the right of President Ellis. Satisfied, I look to Jay and silently count to three with my fingers. On three she takes aim at the lone Hyena and fires.

He probably didn't feel a thing.

As the Hyena falls, I mantle over my cover and grab the president, who is obviously rather startled.

"What?!" He shouts over the gunfire as I pull him to safety. "Who are you?! Unhand me at once!"

"Mister President!" I reply just as loudly, getting to work on his handcuffs. "My name is Sarah Green. I'm an agent with the Division. My team and I are here to rescue you!"

"Ah." My words seem to have calmed him a bit. "The Division. Yes… good…"

I toss the handcuffs to the side and pat him on the shoulder.

"Sir, please stay here. We'll take care of the Hyenas." A few bursts from up above stop a rushing Hyena dead in her tracks right next to me. She staggers back in a daze as a green mist engulfs her. A quick crack of buckshot finishes her off.

"They're stealin' our new toy!" Another Hyena shouts. "Stop 'em!"

Another group of Rushers charge like a pack of their wild animal counterparts towards Jay, who does her best to pull off a few quick headshots.

"I AM IMMORTAL!" One shrieks after sucking down some kind of drug, but is quickly proven wrong by Jay. Her gun suddenly jams, and the last Hyena reaches her, trying to knock the rifle from her hands.

"This skin was getting old!" The Hyena hisses sadistically. "Come closer!"

Jay quickly takes control over the amateur, twisting her swinging arm behind her back and slamming her head into the desk in front of them. The Hyena is stunned, and Jay picks up a glass bottle off the floor, smashing it into the kid's now maskless face. Seeing all of this brings back memories of the Lexington Event Center back in Manhattan, where Jay beat a Riker to death with his own baseball bat after tripping him with the butt of her rifle.

_"She certainly is good at using the environment as a weapon." _I think to myself as Jay executes the young Hyena with her .38. _"It's kinda hot, actually. I'm glad I'm not on her shit list."_

With that, the room is clear and we head to the balcony, President in tow. After some brief introductions, Faye gives him an earpiece so he can speak to the JTF directly.

"It's me." Ellis says to Manny sternly, seeming unfazed by the cascade of violence that just unfolded. "Scramble a Helo to my location. Now."

_"Roger that, Mister President." _Manny replies rather quickly. _"There's already one in the air, but there isn't any roof access nearby."_

"Then blow the damn roof off!" Ellis bellows. For such a scrawny man, he has a very commanding voice.

After a moment, he drops his hand away from his ear.

"Fine." He says in defeat, looking directly to me. "Get me to the Atrium."

"Aye aye, Sir." Jay replies for me, clearing the jammed shell from her rifle. I give the door in our way a heaving kick, and we move on.

**A/N- Some things to touch on, since there are a few PopCulture references here. I like to model the Hyena Rushers after the Psychos from Borderlands 2. Completely nuts, running towards you with a blunt object while you have a massive gun aimed at them. Those couple of lines are from the Psycho bandits from Pandora. The chapter is named after the mission 'Goalpost' in Modern Warfare 3, as well as the US Vice President's callsign. I also changed the appearances of the named enemies around, in case anyone noticed. Rebound is encountered close to the start, the guy in the Vault isn't named, and Roach is at the very end.**

**ALSO! We have some new followers to the story. Welcome all. I hope you enjoy the ride.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	10. Strength in Numbers

**With the president** safely extracted and on his way to the White House, we continued our push through the bank to finish off the Hyenas. I can still sense some tension between Sarah and Faye. Even in New York, they often didn't see eye-to-eye...so to speak, with Faye always trying to be professional and by the book, and Sarah the realist, understanding that it isn't always necessary. Now that all of us will be working together constantly, hopefully they can put that rivalry aside.

I honestly sympathise with Sarah. Faye dragged the eight of us all the way down here, to a city that almost seems beyond repair with no real idea of what we'd be getting into. Yet at the same time, Faye is right, too. This mission is now more important than everything we've done so far. Even saving The Big Apple and the rest of the world from the Dollar Flu doesn't top this. While the world has been recovering, it's essentially leaderless. The United States has always been a world leader in the past, with other countries sometimes coming to us for advice and aid with handling some calamity or another. Without the President, who will they turn to? Who will we turn to?

"Okay…" Faye says, pulling me from my thoughts. "Through this courtyard should be the exit. It's time we got out of here."

"One of the Hyenas back there mentioned another head honcho on his way." Jay reminds us. "Some guy they call Rebound. He might be out there."

"We'll deal with him if we have to." Sarah replies. "We took out Roach. I doubt any more of these idiots are as tough as him."

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**The National Museum of the American Indian**

**East Mall**

**Dima**

*INTERCEPTING TRUE SONS RADIO TRANSMISSION*

_"What could be so hard about it?" _My earpiece crackles. _"It's a water pump, not a jet engine."_

_"You try it…. See? Not so easy, is it?"_

_"It's harder than it looks I'll give you that. But we have our orders: Guard this place until we get the pumps working."_

_"Step aside. Let me have another shot."_

_"Pff. Knock yourself out."_

Always so straight forward, these Americans. Back home, the Russian government either made up a cover story or just denied anything was happening. It's unusual to see how transparent this country and it's soldiers, even former ones, are.

I push the musings aside as I enter the museum. Dedicated to the Native Americans, it must have been quite beautiful at one point. Now, it looks like the rest of the city; overgrown, overrun, on the verge of collapse. Climbing up to the second floor, I find a small group of True Sons guarding what looks like a maintenance room. Two of them appear to be sharing a canteen between themselves.

"How much you have left?" One asks.

"This is it." The other replies as she passes the canteen. "At least until those two geniuses get the pumps going."

"Shit." The True Son mutters as he shakes the can, looking disappointed at how little water they have left. "And here I am, sweating standing still."

"Like a whore in church." His comrade says with a chuckle.

"It sounds like you speak from experience, Matthews." One of the other men jeers.

"Fuck off, Vinny." She calls back as the others share a laugh.

_"Nearly there, Dima?" _Odessa's voice crackles in my ear. _"I think it goes without saying how important this mission is to all parties involved. The True Sons are just as desperate for resources as we are. I can guarantee that they'll put up a serious fight to stop you, but you look to me like you can take 'em, at least if what you said about New York is true. Get it done. Theater out."_

* * *

**JTF Base of Operations**

**White House**

**South Lawn Entrance**

**Miller**

**"How are they?" **Finnigan asks with an expression of concern as Upton approaches. I hand off the cigarette I've been sharing with Lazka, one of the few JTF still here. She accepts it as Upton takes off a pair of bloody rubber gloves.

"They've seen better days," He says tiredly. "But they'll live."

"Good." Lazka says, one of the first few words I've heard her say. She appears to be in a state of something beyond tired. Beyond exhaustion. These JTF have been stretched, pushed and beaten to their very limits, without any form of rest since the start of the outbreak. On constant high alert, they've been guarding the shell of a base with a skeleton crew of a skeleton crew since the evacuation a little over a year ago. A Civilian Militia rose up from the JTF's ashes, a team of which we're on a supply run when they got jumped by a group they called 'Outcasts'.

"Who attacked them again?" Finnigan questions, adjusting his shades.

"The Outcasts." Lazka pipes up again.

"Manny told us about them." I add. "The folks from the quarantine at Roosevelt Island."

"Yeah, but it ain't that simple." There's a slight southern twang to the voice belonging to the Guardsman at my side. "They weren't exactly told politely to go there."

"But it's a quarantine." Finnigan points out, always the naive one of us. "Having their permission shouldn't really be a concern."

"Quite a few of 'em weren't sick." Lazka says rather coldly, shaking off some ashes. "The entire thing was...unlawful to say the least. The JTF garrison there was under the command of Colonel Antwon Ridgeway. That name ring any bells?"

"The True Sons." Upton says with realization.

The thin young woman nods her head, passing the cigarette back. "His group was unsatisfied with how the quarantine of the island and the city were bein' handled. He gained a bit of a cult following and then he and his up and left. The people there revolted and broke out, but I wouldn't sympathise. They're the biggest wackos in this whole nuthouse; vowin' to 'Take revenge on those who did this.'"

"How do they do that?" Finnigan asks with a worried tone.

Lazka takes a breath. "Some of 'em are carriers. Infected. They spread it to unsuspectin' victims by posin' as homeless drifters and get taken in by civvi settlements." She brushes away some wisps of jet-black hair clinging her face. "One, by one that's how the smaller settlements and control points fell on the west side of town." Lazka looks down at her worn out, unlaced boots and filthy trousers. "I was at one of 'em." She mutters. "...one….by one…."

* * *

**World Bank HQ**

**Overlooking the West Courtyard**

**Third Floor**

**Rocket**

_"Emily would like this one." _I think to myself, scooping up a small stuffed dog from a long abandoned bed roll. Short brown 'fur' with a silky fabric under the floppy ears. All the stuffing beads are missing from one of the arms, likely where the previous owner would carry their little friend.

"From the looks of this place, your companion won't be coming back." I say to the dog, rubbing the top of it's head with my thumb. "Not to worry though. I know someone who will love you just as much as they did."

As I gently push the dog into my pack, more gunfire comes from the other side of the building. This time though, it sounds closer.

_"More? Who could still be here? Scavvers? Clearly the Hyenas haven't scared them off."_

I stand and move to one of the hall windows. Through a few of the broken panes I see several Hyenas flood the courtyard, one appearing to be toting a steel riot shield, pinning down a small group of people. One looks like she's from the JTF, maybe a True Son. The two groups have been at each others throats lately.

However, that thought vanishes as I notice a patch on one of her comrades shoulders. While worn and faded, with a symbol I can't quite make out, the layout is unmistakable. Even more so when I look down at my own.

A sudden wave of rage fills my body as my fingers wrap around the handle of my machete.

*ALERT* ISAC suddenly chirps. *INCOMING BACKUP REQUEST*

* * *

**World Bank HQ**

**West Courtyard**

**Sarah**

**"**Holy shit! Look at 'em all!"

"MGs on the balcony!"

"They're pushing up on the left!"

"Oh my God….we're all going to die…"

Looking around, I see our offensive line completely collapsing. Off to the left, Kelly sits down hugging her rifle. Faye kneels next to her, pushing her further into cover and blind-firing at our attackers. At my side, Jay tries to return fire, but keeps getting forced back down by a sniper somewhere further ahead.

Suddenly, in a lapse of the gunfire, a window somewhere nearby shatters, followed by a loud war cry. I peek up to see a colossal man land on the balcony behind the machine gunners, quickly standing up and stabbing one of them with a large machete. The other jumps in surprise and scrambles to redirect his weapon. Our new helper uses the first Hyena as a human shield, letting the other finish him off. Dispatching both gunners, the man stows his blade and jumps off the balcony, switching to an MP5 and opening up on Rebound.

This catches everyone in the courtyard off guard, and Jay is the first to jump on the opportunity, finally silencing the sniper she had been dueling with earlier. I rise next, blasting the Hyenas trying to protect Rebound. The Hyena leader starts to panic, unable to deflect the incoming rounds from the Agents beginning to surround him. Our new friend appears to have had enough, taking hold of Rebound's riot shield and ripping it from his grasp, taking his blade out again and swiftly hacking off Rebound's head. The Hyena boss finally falls back lifelessly, and we emerge from cover one by one.

While the others gawk, I chance an approach with our unexpected help. Slinging my SAW in it's usual fashion, I step over a few Hyena bodies towards him.

"Thanks for that." I speak up, getting his attention. The man turning reveals an orange glow coming from his wrist, and the sheer size of him. Easily over a foot taller than me, with the rolled sleeves of his button-up shirt barely holding back his massive arms.

"Don't mention it." He replies with a soft smile, glancing around at the destruction he caused. "Well actually, it's already too late."

"Wow." I hear Jay's voice behind me. "And I thought _I _made you look short." I roll my eyes at the comment.

"Thanks for the help, Agent." Faye follows up. I look back to see her helping Kelly to her feet.

"It was no trouble." The man says modestly. "Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Roxwell, or very affectionately named 'Rocket' by Manny."

"He told us about you." I say. "I'm Sarah, or 'Dove' if we're going by codenames. This is Jay, or 'Nomad', my partner. Over there is Faye, or 'Phoenix'. And with her is Kelly, from the JTF deployment in Manhattan."

"Manhattan?" Roxwell asks with surprise. "You're a long way from home, kid."

"We all are." Faye pipes up. "That's where we're all from."

"So the four of you came all this way just to pick a fight with the Hyenas?"

"Eight, actually." Kelly says, still shaking off the shell-shock from the firefight. "Three of my men are back at the White House, and one more Agent, Dima, or 'Wolf', went to the Theater to help Odessa."

"That's quite the family road trip." Roxwell muses, his eyes curiously darting to each one of us. "Did you pick D.C. for any particular reason? Other than the Blackout, of course."

"It's...kind of a long story." I say with a tired tone.

"No problem. We can walk and talk." Roxwell says, guiding us towards the exit. "In fact, I know just the place to go."

* * *

**A/N I've been wanting to post this for quite a while, but there is such a thing as schedules, sooo... Yes, this chapter has several perspective changes, so...sorry if it's a bit confusing. Roxwell, or 'Rocket' as Manny has named him is a character created by The-Story-Man1. If you're into Sci-Fi stories, look him up! Thank you, sir. I hope I do him justice, and let me know if there's anything you don't like. Expect more ferocity towards foes and kindness towards friends from our new friend Roxwell. The stuffed dog he finds is real, and is actually a childhood toy of mine that I still own...and sometimes sleep with.**

**Anywho! Thanks for sticking around, everyone who still is anyway. And speaking of, if anyone plays either Division game on Xbox One, hit me up! I'm always down to play, real life permitting. Send me a message either here or on Live at zdrfanta17. See you out there, Agents!**


	11. Homecoming

**H Street Northwest**

**Downtown West**

**About twenty **minutes later, we find ourselves in the middle of a large, overgrown street. Surrounding us on both sides are abandoned cars, some of which appear to have been intentionally placed to create a zig-zagging maze that anyone attempting an approach would have to navigate. Further ahead lies the Campus settlement, created by the military and former students of The George Washington University. This buffer zone of cars is likely to give the defenders time to prepare for an attack, if the message 'We See You' spray painted on the easily visible hood of a nearby taxi is any indication.

"You're right." Our guide Roxwell says after Sarah finishes the long story of our presence here in D.C. and our experiences in Manhattan. "That is quite the tale." Throughout our walk, he has been staying rather close to Kelly, as if assigning himself as her protector. The guardsman herself hasn't protested, in fact, I've noticed her quickly return to his side if he takes an unexpected turn or she starts to wander off.

"If you all weren't standing here, I probably wouldn't believe it." He continues with a chuckle. "But I know some people, including myself, who will be able to help you, or at least point you in the right direction."

"Good." My companion replies. "It seems like everyone else has been keeping us in the dark." She shoots a look at Faye, who doesn't notice, appearing distracted by another sign left by the Militia at the Campus.

"We Shoot On Sight." She reads aloud.

"Ah, don't worry about that." Roxwell waves off the warning. "If they see us, that means they see _me_. And I'm, let's say…'Well Liked' by the folks at the Campus. I've been helping the leader Henry with some jobs here and there, much like I assume your friend Dima is doing with Odessa."

At the end of the road is a makeshift barricade, consisting of construction scaffolding and a shipping container with 'Welcome to The Campus' painted on it. A lookout up above whistles when he sees us, and the container is lifted up by a crane. More Militia members appear behind it and approach us.

"Roxwell." One, a younger man toting a long double-barreled shotgun says. "Back so soon? Whose this?"

"A few new friends I made while fighting the Hyenas." He replies happily. "I also found some school books for the kids."

"Good. Come on in, Agents. It'll be good to see some new faces around."

"You guys have a school here?" I ask the guard curiously.

"Of course. This place _is _a school after all. We want to give the kids here as much of a normal life as we can, and Roxwell has been doing quite a surprisingly good job at that." Up ahead, the Agent in question is kneeling in front of a young girl, maybe five or six. He reaches into his Go-Bag and produces a stuffed toy dog, offering it to her. The girl accepts the toy excitedly, wrapping her arms around Roxwell's neck in a tight hug before running off to show a woman whom I assume is her mother. Roxwell pulls his bag back on and continues towards the school area.

"He has a soft spot for kids." The teenage guard says.

"That's ...actually pretty adorable." Kelly says as she passes us, still following Roxwell.

"You're practically a kid yourself, Kelly!" Sarah calls after her. She waves us off and keeps walking, then stopping to chat with a group of Militia members. Privately, Sarah's comment makes realize why Roxwell was walking so close to Kelly: She's the youngest out of all of us.

"The Campus is entirely self sustained." The guard continues as we walk further in, towards what looks like the leader's office. "We produce our own electricity with solar panels and wind turbines, collect rainwater, even grow our own crops." He points to each respective work station. The visible rooftops are covered with solar panels, with a few turbines in the taller spots. Large plastic drums are placed at the end of waterspouts, with one redirected to a large vegetable garden. A few gardeners walk carefully around the rows of plants, pulling out weeds and picking things that are ready. One tomato plant has flowers that are just opening, all of them surrounded by bees. Off to the side, one can see where they're coming from. A man sits behind a table surrounded by jars of honey, with a sign reading 'Jeff's Bees' over his head. Behind him are several hives buzzing with even more of the bright yellow insects.

"You even have a beekeeper?" Sarah asks with surprise.

"Roxwell rescued him from those Underground kooks last summer." Our guide replies with a nod. "Jeff's little bee colony has worked wonders on the garden. They make honey too, which we use to make medicine and food. He likes to give samples to the new arrivals, so I'd swing by when you get the time."

I take a glance at Sarah, always a candy lover, and can practically see her sweet tooth awakening. She shoots a sparkly-eyed grin at me as we continue.

The guard stops in front of a large conex container with the words 'Henry's Office' painted on it.

"Well, here we are. I don't know if there's anything that needs doing, but I'm sure it'll help Henry to know there are more of you Agents out there fighting the good fight." He turns to leave, but then stops.

"I'm Warren, by the way. See you around, ladies."

**Entering the container**, we find what resembles a Man Cave-slash-garage-slash-Bomb Shelter. Holiday lights strung up on the walls behind tall wooden shelves. Stacks of boxes containing all sorts of odds and ends. A workbench littered with tools and papers. All surrounding a lone bald man hunched over a map of D.C., with several areas highlighted different colors like Manny's. He looks up as we walk in, Faye taking the lead as usual.

"Agents. I'm Henry." He says with a level voice. "Welcome to The Campus." As he stands, I notice a cross on a simple chain around his neck.

"Faye Lau." She says officially, offering a hand to shake. "This is Jay, and Sarah. Part of my team from Manhattan." At the mention of my name, I rest my SAW against Henry's table and roll my shoulders. Jay simply waves and Henry accepts the handshake.

"Odessa said something about new Agents from New York." He says with a nod. "So I'd guess you met Roxwell?"

"That we did." I reply, stepping around Faye and leaning against Henry's table. "Does he chop off heads and give out toys often?"

The man lets a chuckle slip out. "It depends on who you are to him. Civilian, soldier, or fellow Agent? He's your new best friend. Shoot or cross him or one of his friends…..it'll be the last thing you do."

"I like him already." Jay says. I nod in agreement.

"He has a particular dislike towards the True Sons, as well as a few Rogue Agents who have been seen poking around. If you go to the Mall or any of the Dark Zones, I'd bring him along."

"Noted." Faye replies simply.

"Oh. And before I forget." Henry rummages through a nearby box for a moment, returning with a flare gun, holster and a bandolier of flares. "Here." He hands the items to Faye, who looks over them with a confused expression.

"For calling in support." Henry explains. "All the lead Agents here have them." He steps back to the map. "There are Militia patrols all over the place. If you're hitting a hard target or get in a jamb, just fire this, and help will come."

Faye's face changes to a look of worry.

"Won't that be putting civilians in danger?"

"Well armed, fully capable civilians." I quip. Faye looks at me, and her expression doesn't change.

"Trust me, Agent. The bad guys around here aren't like back in Manhattan." Henry's voice becomes low and serious. "They're hardened survivors, merciless killers. You with all your guns and fancy tech will just look like an overflowing coinpurse to them." He looks down at the flare gun, pushing it further into Faye's hands. "You need this. There aren't enough folks like you three in this world." We all exchange glances amongst ourselves. "This gun and our Militia will keep you alive."


	12. Under New Management

**Henry's speech **has left us even more uncertain about the possibility of saving D.C. On the one hand, it's comforting to know the citizens of the city are behind us now that they know who and how capable we are. On the other, it's concerning just how deeply descended into chaos the city is. Four rivals tearing each other apart, but three of them have one common enemy: Us. Henry himself didn't sound very optimistic about our chances of success. Sarah is the most open about feelings out of all of us and even she's trying to hide how worried she is.

Our walk back to the White House has been rather speechless apart from Kelly quietly singing bits of a German marching song and a thunderstorm developing off in the distance. The cloud cover is giving us a welcome break from the sun, and the light raindrops are slowly cleaning the sweat, blood and dirt from our clothes.

"In der Heimat wohnt ein blondes Mägdelein

und das heißt:

Erika." Kelly sings warmly as a thunderclap slowly rolls over our heads.

"Dieses Mädel ist mein treues Schätzelein

und mein Glück,

Erika."

"What does all that mean?" Roxwell asks curiously.

"It's a German soldier singing about his girlfriend back home." Kelly explains happily. Her voice does have a way of lightening the mood, no matter the circumstances.

"It sounds familiar." Sarah says, likely tearing herself away from her own thoughts on the situation. "Isn't it called 'Erika'?"

"Yes. It was a popular marching song amongst the German Wehrmacht, though their current soldiers occasionally sing it."

"You've been there?" Roxwell prods. A bolt of lightning lights up the sky for a split second, followed by more thunder soon after. "To Germany?"

The guardsman nods. "It's where I spent most of my time in the Army." After a few moments of silence, she begins to sing again.

"Auf der Heide blüht ein kleines Blümelein

und das heißt:

Erika."

"Deine Stimme ist schön." Sarah says after a moment, receiving a big surprised smile from Kelly.

"Gotta learn sometime." My partner says with a modest shrug.

"Du bist süßer als Schatz." Kelly replies with a laugh.

Sarah gives her a look from behind her honey lollipop.

"I doubt that." She says with a grin, making them both laugh.

Silence envelops our group once again as we continue towards the White House. I widen my strides to catch up to Faye towards the front. She idly looks over the flare gun she was given with the same concerned expression she wore earlier.

"What are you thinking, Faye?" I ask innocently.

For a time, she doesn't reply, as if she didn't hear me. She finally speaks up several paces later.

"This feels wrong." Faye says quietly. For the first time since I met her, I can hear genuine fear and uncertainty in her voice. "The very people we're supposed to be protecting will be fighting alongside us. By firing this gun, I'll….we'll...be throwing civilians into battle." The normally driven and fearless Agent turns the flare gun over in her shaky hands. "I don't like it, Jay."

"It's not all bad." I say hopefully after a moment. The rain begins to come down harder, and I glance back to see Sarah and Kelly stopped in the road, arms outstretched like a scene from 'Holes'. Sarah removes her hat and lets the water soak through her hair, and Kelly soon does the same with her JTF cap.

"These civilians aren't helpless like back in New York." I turn back to Faye. "They're organized. Trained by Odessa from what Henry told us. We're in even fewer numbers than in Manhattan now. We need the Militia. And they need us to lead them."

"Think of it as like 'Red Dawn'." Sarah pipes up from behind me. "The first one from '84, anyway."

For once, a comment from my companion doesn't anger Faye further. Instead, she simply stows the gun, stuffing it into the holster Henry gave her for it. It hangs on the side of her Go-Bag, and privately even I hope we never have to actually use it.

* * *

"**Ah. Here we are." **President Ellis steps away from the windows and directly to Sarah, shaking her hand tightly. "I wanted to thank you personally. If it weren't for you and yours, I'd still be at the mercy of those filthy Hyenas." He turns his attention to the rest of us.

"I am honored….and humbled to finally meet a member of your elite organization. Let alone seven of you!"

"The honor is all mine, Mr. President." Sarah says somewhat shakily, appearing slightly starstruck.

Glancing around, I see the other Agents Ellis was referring to: Alani, a close friend of Faye's and the main reason we're here. And Thomas, a rather loud young man from Boston who sounds an awful lot like former President Kennedy. The former stands near the door to the office, while the latter has taken a spot on the other side of Roxwell. Jay stands with Sarah in her usual spot, while Faye stays off to the side, closer to Alani. All of us stands in some form of At Ease.

I feel so small compared to all of them. Like a common UNSC Marine must feel standing next to a SPARTAN. The Agents around me can move mountains, all of them with almost as much power as the President himself, and here I am. Tiny, to the point of insignificance.

"We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Division," Ellis continues, Sarah politely stepping back from him. "and the sacrifices you've made to keep this country together." He looks around at all of us, his gaze pausing on me for a moment.

"You're the 'Doer of Deeds' as Roosevelt once put it." The President pats Sarah's shoulder warmly. "Now it's my responsibility to direct those deeds towards an even greater good. Agents Kelso and Murphy have told me of some of your exploits in Manhattan." The Agents in question quietly nod in response. "I'm glad to have folks with your skillset on our side. As Agent Lau has informed me, samples of a broad-spectrum antiviral medication were sent to D.C. as a 'Continuity of Government' measure. Created in Manhattan...by all of you." Faye and Sarah nod excitedly.

"Unfortunately, we don't know where the medication is. It certainly never arrived. The shipment was likely stolen somewhere between Manhattan and here." Ellis looks at Manny. "Mr. Ortega tells me that the True Sons have been acting more aggressive recently, likely the result of some type of bolstering to their own group. Possibly even-"

"-Stolen Green Poison medicine." I blurt out. After a moment, I glance around at the several pairs of eyes looking my way.

"Precisely." Ellis says, as if he's already accepted my unspoken apology. "But regardless of who stole it, the only way to open the containers is with principal level clearance codes. Codes that only _I _have. I need the briefcase I was carrying aboard Air Force One."

"We believe the True Sons have that as well." Alani says. "In the Capitol Building."

"Get it back." The President says bluntly. "I don't care how, just get it done." He takes a seat behind his desk. "If we're going to get this city, this country, back on track, we're going to have to do things that are...unpopular." Ellis looks around at all of us. "But I'm not here to woo voters." He says with a chuckle. "I'm here to get shit done. As I'm sure all of you are." We all nod in unison.

"Oh yeah." Thomas confirms.

"Hey, Manny." Alani pipes up. "I think it's about time we show our new friends the...special items that Coop has stored away."

After a moment, Manny nods in agreement. Around me, the other members of Xray Team glance amongst each other in confusion.


	13. Pack-A-Punch

**"Woah." Is the **only word that comes to mind as we stand before the Quartermaster Coop Dennison. He stands behind four open weapon cases on the table, each containing what he calls 'Special' weapons.

"First, the Sharpshooter." Coop explains. "This is the McMillan TAC 50. .50 BMG, Armor Piercing." Jay instinctively steps towards the large rifle. "Muzzle velocity 805 meters, or 2,600 feet per second. Effective range 2,000 yards...give or take."

"Take." Jay says, gently scooping up the rifle. "Ho ho, come to Mama!"

"Use this if you see a Tank behind the fridge..." The Quartermaster says further. "...inside an elevator...in a building down the street."

"Feeling nostalgic?" I quip with a grin. My partner simply nods in response, lost for words.

"Next. The Demolitionist." Says Coop. "Now I understand. Even in my time with the Secret Service I know sometimes stealth and subtlety just aren't an option." Interestingly, it's Faye who steps forward at this. "For you, Agent, I have the M32 MGL grenade launcher. Double action revolver. 40 millimeter grenades that can fire anything from smoke and tear gas all the way to high explosive."

Faye picks up the slightly awkward-looking weapon, looking it over a few times.

"You can mix and match ammunition as well, although you do have to manually rewind the spring."

After a few moments, Faye nods, stepping away from the table.

"Now next up is something a little unconventional." Coop says as I approach him. "But like the Division's motto, Desperate Times, Desperate Measures right? I'd say this fits the bill." I reach into the case and produce a large crossbow. Testing the string, I notice it has a fairly light pull. The weapon itself is light and nimble.

"You'll also need these." Coop produces a quiver of arrows that has two letters on it: HE. "Simple, effective, devastating."

"A crossbow with explosive arrows." I say quietly to Jay as I arrive at her side. "They think of _everything_."

"Last, but certainly not least." The Quartermaster says. "You look like a heavy-hitter to me." He looks at Dima, who cautiously walks forward. "For you I have...this." Dima reaches in and reveals an M134 Minigun.

"Holy smokes!" Kelly all but shouts.

"7.62x51, six rotating barrels, 2,000 rounds per minute." Coop says. "Some might call it overkill, I think it's just adapting to circumstance."

Dima presses a button and the barrels spin up, making their signature whirring sound. A moment later it stops, and Dima nods, appearing satisfied.

"Hey, how about Kelly?" I say, turning a large number of heads including hers. "She's not an Agent, but she works with us. Got anything for her?"

"Hmm." Coop murmurs, looking the Guardsman up and down as if getting a feel for her. "I think I have something." He turns and rummages around a stack of weapon cases, eventually producing a rather long one. He unlatches the case and spins it towards us. "How about this?"

Kelly's eyes widen, for lack of a better term.

"RPG7V2. Built in Russia, and captured from the True Sons. PGO-7 telescopic sight, fires unguided 40 millimeter rockets ranging from Thermobaric to standard HEAT." Kelly carefully picks up the launcher as Coop turns back to the stack, returning with a satchel of rockets. "Easy to use, reliable, and anyone downrange is going to have a _very_ bad day." Kelly takes the rockets and steps back, admiring her new weapon.

"Christmas has come early, kids." Coop says with a grin.

* * *

**A/N Felt like uploading early since this chapter is so short.**

**Just a quick question. What's everybody's favorite Specialization? I know mine, but I just thought I'd ask. Let me, and everyone else for that matter, know in the comments.**

**I also felt like I _had _to give Kelly something. She's going to appear quite alot this time around, so she needs something to do other than be adorable. Blowing stuff up? Check!**

**Thanks for reading, everyone. See you next time.**


	14. Down Time

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Barracks**

**That evening**

"Thank God this place has A/C." Kelly sighs as she flops down on her rack. I quietly nod in agreement, reflecting on the day's events.

Our first day in D.C. has been quite a bit to take in. We were nearly killed as we got here after a five hour drive. Then our first mission resulted in us saving the President. I absentmindedly shake my head at that. We met a friendly Agent, who lead us to a civilian settlement, who in turn sent us back to the White House after a full debrief on what's going on in the city. Every step of the way, we've been reminded of how far D.C. has fallen. How much is working against us. How much is at stake.

The sound of Jay and Kelly laughing off to the side pulls me back to reality for a moment. My partner appears to be telling a story from our Marine days, which Kelly is completely engrossed in. I can't help but smile at them as a feeling of nostalgia washes over. The few moments of downtime we had in Manhattan, even the maddening amounts of it in Afghanistan all suddenly come back to me. But for once we aren't busying ourselves with depressing, brain-meltingly repetitive activities like cleaning our weapons for the umpteenth time that day, wandering around the base, masturbating, or talking ourselves and each other out of killing ourselves...or each other. Despite the terrible things that stress, anxiety and war in general do to the mind, somehow I find comfort in comparing those days to the present.

The voices of my friends and the ambience of the mess hall a few doors down fade as I drift back into thought.

Faye told us just about everything about Thomas and Alani. They both seem like capable Agents. Especially Alani, one of the first women to complete Army Ranger school. I've met a few Rangers in my time, one of them being an instructor. He said that several women have tried Ranger school, as well as BUD/S for the SEALs, but none had ever completed it. SEALs training classes often start with around eighty trainees, but usually only ten or twelve make it.

Then there's Thomas. A native Bostonian. He sometimes comes off as more lackadaisical than me, and that's saying something. He can be commanding when he wants to though, being from a law enforcement background. According to Faye, he was a first responder to the Boston Marathon Bombing. Thinking of that reminds me of being in New York on September Eleventh, in high school, only fifteen years old, and at the moment I had no idea how much that one day would impact my life. The whole reason I joined the Marines was because of it, which is where I met Jay, and is why I am where I am today.

"...to Sarah! Come in Sarah!"

"Huh?" I'm snapped back by Kelly waving to me from her rack on the other side of Jay.

"Tired, eh?" My partner asks.

"No just, lost in thought." I reply, sitting up and stretching. "On another planet, I believe."

"That wouldn't surprise me." Jay replies, gesturing to me and Kelly to join her on her bed. "I asked the mess folks to hold onto these." She reaches into a black plastic bag and produces one of the bottles of wine Dr. Kandel gave us before we left. The bottle glistens with condensation, likely having been on ice since we arrived.

"That was kind of them." I say, reaching for the bottle opener on my keychain.

"A shame we don't have appropriate wine glasses." Kelly muses.

"We have coffee mugs." Jay offers after a moment.

* * *

**Elsewhere on the Base…**

**"So what else** brings you to our fine nation's capitol, Faye?" Thomas asks, finishing off a glass of water. "Other than our call for help." Around the mess hall, civilian volunteers help the JTF kitchen staff with serving what's left of evening chow, which mostly consisted of canned meat mixed with vegetables from the garden outside. Whatever it was, it was satisfyingly filling. One of the cooks learned of our arrival, and convinced enough of the rest of the staff to help him make a cake for us as a welcoming gift.

"Finding out where our medicine shipment went." I reply with a frown. "It seems too easy to say that the True Sons have it."

"They control nearly every road out of the city. The southeast part of town is thehs, which is where the shipment would've come from. Hyenas have the northeast and centeh, and Outcahsts have the west and the watah."

"I understand that, but… it seems a little too convenient, if you catch my drift."

"Well then who has it?" Alani questions. "Where could it be?"

I look around instinctively to make sure no one is listening.

"I think Ellis knows more than he's letting on."

The bomb drops. Alani, Thomas, even Dima look at me like I have three heads.

"Why would he hide anything?" My partner asks.

"I mean, sure Ellis was rather...vocal in opposing the Division's creation as well as our deployment, but surely now he sees that we're America's last hope?" Alani says, almost sounding as if she's trying to convince herself more than us.

"I think he knows where the shipment is." I press on. "Or at least what happened to it."

"Impossible." Thomas says with a shake of his head. "Waller had the most sound and bulletproof administration this country's had in a long time. Ellis never showed any hint of deviation from Waller's cause. Why would he change now?"

I look down at my empty plate. "I don't know yet. Just call it a gut feeling."

"Are you ever lucky with 'gut feelings'?" Dima asks.

"Well, I had a good one about you." I say with a small smile. "And one about Sarah and Jay. And look where we are now."

"Starting all over again?" The russian native quips, making me scowl at him.

"You sound like Sarah."

* * *

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Roof**

**"So that makes** four Hyena patrols in the last hour." Finnigan says as he scribbles on a clipboard. "You think something's going on, Ant?"

"Lazka said something about there being an all-out war between the Hyenas and True Sons." I reply, not taking my binos off of the small pack strolling down 15th Street. One, what Manny called a 'Rusher' towards the back, keeps looking around nervously. She keeps furiously scratching herself, likely wearing a hole in her shirt sleeve. One of her packmates takes her hand to get her to stop, but she whips out a pistol and points it at him angrily. They loudly argue back and forth, but we're too far away to make out any words.

"Drug addict lunatics." I mutter under my breath.

Suddenly, a True Sons squad appears further down the street. After assessing the situation, most of them hang back, letting their sniper easily wipe out the four distracted Hyenas.

"What idiots." I comment idly. "They're just as incompetent as the Rioters."

"Make that _three_ Hyena patrols." Finnigan says with a chuckle.

I lower my binoculars and sit down next to him at the round patio table, looking up at the full moon lighting up the city.

Off in the distance, lights still shine in some building's windows. Street lamps glow dimly on most of the surrounding streets, reflecting off of puddles from the rainstorm earlier, but light pollution is so low that the night sky is covered a dizzying flurry of stars. The Milky Way itself has even made an appearance as a streak of red, blue and white stars dominates what looks like a painting that would make Van Gogh himself jealous. Off to the side, Shelby Lazka appears, six pack of Jonns in hand. The light from the moon shows that she's rested some, her thin and scarred face looking even more attractive than before.

"Sure is beautiful out here." She says, making Finnigan nearly fall out of his chair. The two of us can't help but chuckle at the poor kid.

"Jeez, Lazka!" He hisses. "You scared the shit outta me!"

"Sorry. Here." She tosses him a beer. "As an apology."

"That'll work." Finnigan replies with a nod.

Shelby looks up at the night sky along with me, taking the empty seat and taking in the stars and ambience of crickets in the grass down below. She takes two more bottles out of the pack, offering one to me and setting the rest on the table.

"You ever seen a sight like this?" She asks.

"No." I answer simply, popping the cap off. "Jersey isn't exactly known for it's stargazing."

"Missouri is." Shelby says. "Some parts, anyway."

"So that's where you're from." I say with realization, earning a nod and a small smile. "I had you pegged for Texas, or maybe Alabama."

"Nope." She shakes her head, ponytail flopping from side to side. "Ole' Miss is home for me." I can't help but be fascinated by how the stars dance in her pale blue eyes.

"How are things there?" I shake myself out of my trance.

"Better 'n here." She says with a snort. "But, shit anything's better than D.C."

"New York certainly is."

"Then why'd that Faye character drag your sorry asses all the way down here?"

"A few reasons. First, New York _is_ faring far better than it once was. Second...well...a cure for Green Poison was developed in Manhattan by Jay and Sarah...sort of."

Lazka raises her eyebrows at me.

"Samples were sent to all the major cities and quarantine zones, including here. But this one never arrived. We're here to find it."

The guardsman at my side is silent for a moment, taking in the information.

"Where do you s'pose it is?" She asks, taking a swing from her bottle.

I shake my head. "I couldn't even _begin_ to guess. Kelly said that Manny thinks the True Sons may have stolen it."

"It's possible" She shrugs. "A fair number of supply convoys got sacked by them...back when there were supply convoys. Now there's just the occasional Mercy Drop from CERA, but they're too busy restoring the rest of the country to be bothered with this sad backwater." She gestures to the city. "It's a good thing y'all are here. Maybe we can finally do somethin' about that."

* * *

**A/N Time!**

**If Thomas' dialogue is hard to follow, try to read it in a Boston accent, like 'Bahstin', ya'know? It's all spelled how it sounds.**

** Everyone on the team is getting some well deserved R&R after a long drive and hectic first day.**

**I can already hear some of you typing this question, so Miller and Lazka ending up together will probably happen. (I like to think I know my audience)**

**Their first day back in business, and Faye of all people is the one to question Ellis' credibility. I wonder if she'll be right?**

**Things you like or don't like? Questions, complaints, concerns? Just along for the ride and not really sure what's going on? Leave a comment! All feedback is welcome.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Making Plans

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Barracks**

**The next morning**

**"Ugh. My head." **Kelly groans, trying to push herself out of bed.

"Pff. Lightweight." Sarah replies snarkily, pulling on a pair of cargo shorts. Doing so reveals her somewhat embarrassingly pale legs that, like her arms, are mostly covered with tattoos. The left has pin-up girls from the '40s and '60s, wearing military uniforms, doing salute winky faces and whatnot. While her right has a bandolier of bullets going all the way down to her ankle, starting around her waist. Personally, I think she should wear shorts more often, especially outside, but my insistence usually has little success.

"Am not!" The tired, hungover guardsman replies, throwing her bundled up BDU blouse at Sarah, surprisingly scoring a hit and landing it on her head.

"It's only seven percent." My partner replies, pulling the blouse off and tossing it back. "And you only had three...fairly large coffee mugs of it."

"At _your _insistence." Kelly fires back. "For 'initiation purposes'. Yeah right." She finally sits up all the way and begins dressing, albeit slowly.

"Don't tell me this is your first hangover, Kelly." I comment, earning a quizzical look from her.

"My first in general? Of course not. My first from wine? Yes."

"What's the difference?"

"Oh, there's a difference." Sarah pipes up. "For wine, it takes less and hits harder."

Kelly pauses for a moment and rubs her temples.

"It lasts longer, too." She continues. "Especially on hot..._humid..._days."

Our guardsman friend rests her sore head in her hands, plugging her ears with her thumbs.

"Stop it, Sarah." I say with a laugh. "I think she's suffered enough."

My partner frowns mockingly, finishing dressing and sitting down next to me. Together, we watch Kelly carefully finish her morning routine, trying not to move too fast and inflict further pain on her throbbing head. She slowly hobbles past towards the mess hall, likely for water or coffee. Or both.

"We're terrible friends." I say.

"Yep." Sarah replies with a big grin. "And she loves us for it."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**The Ellipse**

**"Is everything **okay, Miller?" Upton asks for likely the third time of the hour. Him, Finnigan and myself had been selected for a morning patrol. Leaving the scene of the Hyena Turkey Shoot, we begin making laps around the Ellipse.

"Yes." I say once again, not looking at either of them. Further ahead in the motor pool, a couple of mechanics work on Sarah's truck, it being the more battered of the two only civilian vehicles. The broken windows, being nearly all of them, have been removed and one of the mechanics is trying to bend the hood back into shape. Sarah hit that Hyena like a ton of bricks, and Finnigan and I were nearly thrown out of the back when she ran her over.

"I'm not so sure about that, buddy." The squadmate in question says. "You seem to be showing...more emotion than usual, which is an odd thing to say about a person."

"How do you mean?" Upton asks.

I close my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Our Miller has found himself a lady friend." Finnigan says.

"You'll shut your mouth if you know what's good for you." I mutter through gritted teeth.

"I think he has the hots for Lazka." My idiot friend continues, ignoring me. "The one we were talking to at the door yesterday?"

Upton nods, stepping around a large, water-filled pothole.

"Well guess who came up to the roof while we were on watch? Toting beer and friendly conversation, no less."

"Tyler." I say sternly. "Enough."

"Oh come on, Ant." Upton says. "What's the harm in it?"

"I could think of several 'harms' in it." I let my rifle hang from it's sling and begin counting on my fingers. "Even if we do hit it off, and that's a big if, it'll be a _huge _distraction. We're from completely different parts of the country, and long distance stuff almost never works out. Other than enjoying silence, looking at the night sky, and both enduring massive amounts of loss and suffering, we have nothing in common. And the biggest one, fraternization."

"That last one is total B.S., bro. And you know it." Finnigan says. "What's Manny going to do? Put you both in time-out? And look at Jay and Sarah. They've been going at it since all that shit with Keener ended, and they seem fine."

"I don't know, Ty." I say, finally caving in. "I mean, she's great to talk to. She actually listens, unlike you two assholes."

"Hey!" Derek says in mock offense.

"She's not bad on the eyes, either." Tyler Finnigan continues my sentence. "At least better than we're used to. Other than Kelly, of course."

"Sure, but I mean, we just met her." I say.

"That's why you take it slow." Upton points out. "Treat it like your first girl, unless that ended in disaster. In which case don't."

I pick a pebble up off the ground and throw it at him.

"Rebecca was a lunatic, anyway." I grumble, shaking my head. Finnigan nods in agreement, being present for many of the rather interesting meet-ups of ours. "And this isn't a high school fling."

"Well," My childhood friend says supportively. "I'm sure there's something you can do." He pauses for a moment. "In fact, I already have an idea."

"Oh boy. Here we go." Derek mutters.

"The beers she brought? Replace them with something. A new gun, a new pair of boots, even more beer if you can't find anything else. Just be like 'Here. Thanks for the beer and conversation last night.' or some shit like that."

"Wow." Derek says after a moment. "That's actually a pretty good idea."

"Let's head back and poke through the stuff those Hyenas dropped." Finnigan says. "I think I know just the thing."

* * *

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Mess Hall**

**"So how was **your night, Laz?" Mikayla Garvey asks as we work through a small mountain of dishes in the kitchen. She's the closest thing I've had to a best friend in a very long time. Since arriving in D.C., we've learned just about everything there is to know about each other. While she wasn't present at the Roosevelt Island Breakout or the events in Foggy Bottom, she has done her best to help get over the horrible things I saw, and that I was forced to do.

"Quiet, for once." I reply, passing her a large soup pot filled with soapy water. "Hung out on the roof with Finnigan 'n Miller. Two of the new guys in from New York."

"I don't think I've met them yet."

"You'd know if ya did. They ain't as beaten down as we are."

"How did that go?"

"It was peaceful. Talked to Miller for the better part of two hours. Him 'n Finny are close as kin. They grew up in Jersey together."

Mick sets down a skillet on the drying rack. "That's it? Just conversation?" She always was the nosy type, soaking in every detail like a person-sized sponge.

"There may have been some beer involved." I say with a shrug.

"Well that answers _that_ question." She says after a moment.

"I s'pose it does."

"So which of them do you like most?"

"That ain't exactly what I was thinkin' about at the time." I raise an eyebrow at her. "But I guess Miller now that you mention it."

"What about him?"

"He's...quiet. Not like that loud-mouth dope he calls a friend." I answer with a chuckle. "Most of the time we just...looked at the stars."

"Awww-" My friend's cooing is cut off by a handful of water to the face.

"Why do you always go there?" I ask with slight annoyance.

"Because that's adorable! Do you like him? Do you think he likes you?"

"Calm down, Mick." I hold up a sud-covered hand to silence her. "And Hell, I don't know. I just met the poor guy. Give him a minute to settle in, will ya?"

"Oh, alright." My friend replies after catching her breath. "But he sounds cute. Don't let him get too far away."

I simply roll my eyes and shake my head.

_"As if."_

* * *

**JTF Base of Operations**

**War Room**

**"It's up to you**, Faye." Says Manny, hovering over his map of D.C. "The True Sons, Outcasts and Hyenas have been mostly pushed back to their respective Strongholds and larger Control Points.

"Who's the biggest threat right now?" My partner asks, rearing for a fight as usual.

"The Hyenas are harassing the Theater Settlement as well as the surrounding Control Points, killing a handful of Militia members with each raid. The True Sons have been targeting supply groups and field technicians. Some even go so far as hijacking JTF loudspeakers to broadcast their own propaganda. The Outcasts are still engaging everyone they see with fire bombings and biological warfare. Many of their members are infected with the virus and use it as a weapon."

"Each appears to be just as dangerous as the last." Roxwell observes. "I would normally spring for a mass offensive, wiping out everyone at once, but I think this requires a systematic approach."

"The True Sons easily have the best defended Stronghold." Says Alani. "They've turned the Capitol Building into a fortress. Mortars, auto-turrets, anti-air...you name it, they probably have it."

"We'll take them last." Faye says after a moment of thought. "All hands on deck. As for the others…the safety of the civilians comes first."

She studies the map carefully, bouncing back and forth between the District Union Arena and Roosevelt Island and weighing the pros and cons of each approach.

"If our Militia isn't distracted by raids, they can better defend themselves from bio-attack." She says finally. "The Hyenas die first."

"Very well." Manny says. "Assemble your team, and head out. Our recent operations already have the Hyenas spooked. We've got word that The Council will be holding a meeting today. Taking down their leadership will cripple them. Sheriff, Knight and Rocket have missions of their own to deal with," He shoots a glance at each respective Agent, who all nod. "but at least one of them should be able to help if you get bogged down. Just give the word."

With a curt nod, Faye and I leave the room to find Kelly, Jay and Sarah.


	16. House Of Horrors

**"Into the **Elephant's Graveyard we go." Sarah jokes as we step past the bodies of Diesel and his jackals.

Leaving the garage and heading further in, we find what looks like a giant drug lab. Laboratory equipment is everywhere, with various ingredients scattered around. Somewhere, a loud rap song vibrates the floors, walls, and our ears. I notice Sarah hold out her Smart Watch for a moment.

"Huh." She says. "Saigon. I thought this sounded familiar."

"Ugh, this place is a pig stye." Faye observes. Off to the side, a lone Hyena sits on the floor, slowly swaying from side to side. The inside of her mask is cloudy and hazy, likely from her latest dose of a drug they make called 'Spice'. She begins to laugh maniacally, a laugh that sounds almost exactly like a Hyena, and some of the hazy smoke comes out through the breathing port.

"So colorful!" She shouts to no one in particular. Kelly and I stop and simply watch the spectacle. Some part of me wants to help, to pull off the poor kid's mask and possibly save her life, but another part stops me, as if it wants to see what happens.

"So...many...LIGHTS! SO BEAUTIFUL!" The Hyena nearly screams at us. She puts her hands over her masks visor, as if trying to block out a light no one else can see.

"So….so pretty. Can't you see? It's like...music for your...eyes…" Her voice gets quieter, and she suddenly starts coughing.

"Too- *COUGH COUGH* Too much light! *COUGH COUGH* TOO MUCH! Light is...bad." The Hyena begins to slump against the wall. "Too...much...pretty…" She goes limp, falling lifelessly to the side. The impact with the floor cracks her mask, releasing the remaining drug smoke. The girl's eyes are heavily bloodshot, as if she hasn't slept in a week.

"Jesus Christ." Kelly whispers in a horrified tone, covering her mouth with her hand. "We should've helped."

"She probably would've tried to kill you." Sarah replies from further ahead. My Guardsman friend steps forward anyway and, holding her breath, carefully reaches into the mask and closes the Hyena's eyes.

"All the Hyenas are the same." Sarah continues as we press forward. "Amped out of their minds on homemade drugs."

"Maybe we should let them kill themselves off and save ourselves the trouble." Dima suggests, stepping into the next room.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time for that." My partner points out as she follows him, shotgun low but ready. "At least not while the Council still lives."

"Well that 'Diesel' douchebag back there makes…" I pause for a moment, counting on my fingers. "...four Hyena leaders we've killed so far. How many are there?"

"Nine in total." Faye replies.

"Well…" Says Sarah, picking up a beaker filled with a green liquid. "That means they're going extinct. Let's keep up the momentum."

"LOOK, BOYS AND GIRLS!" A Hyena suddenly screams from somewhere in the room. "IT'S SOME FRESH MEAT!"

"Oh, great." My partner grumbles, checking the chamber of her shotgun. "_This _again!"

A pack of Hyenas swarms into the room from all sides. Judging by their erratic movements and insane, barely comprehensible shouting, they are likely more drug fiends like Sarah suggested. We form a circle close to the center of the room, covering each other's backs as waves of Hyenas run into our sheets of lead.

The lab falls to darkness, the only light coming from our muzzle flashes. At my side, Kelly is the first to be overwhelmed, two of the savages tackling her to the floor. Sarah reacts before I can, cracking a slug into the first Hyena. It hits him like a sledgehammer and he lands on top of the overpowered Guardsman below. My partner then turns the butt of her shotgun into a club and swinging it at the other Hyena as he looks up at her. The stock hits him square in the face and he falls away from Kelly.

"And that one is OUTTA HERE!" She cries out in triumph, helping Kelly to her feet only to be attacked again.

On the other side of the circle, Dima is doing his best to protect Faye, who appears to be holding the right side of her face, near her eye patch. I land my sights on one of her attackers, only to have my rifle shoved back into my body by a Hyena of my own.

**"Get OFFA ME!" **I scream into the Hyena's facemask, planting my foot on her chest and delivering a powerful kick. She stumbles away and I reach for my pistol, shooting her several times. As the Hyena falls, another knocks the gun away. Before I can react, Kelly pounces on him, pushing him away from me. I scramble after my pistol as Kelly wrestles the Hyena to the floor. He rolls her to the bottom as I pick up my 1911 and fire the last round at him. Kelly pushes the Hyena away and stands, but my attention is drawn to the chaos beyond. Jay is pummeling a Hyena with his own helmet, Faye is firing Dima's AK from the hip and mowing down what's left of the pack, and Dima himself is in a very one-sided fist fight. He catches the Hyena's fist, giving her arm a sharp twist accompanied by a sickening crack. Dima kicks her knee next, breaking her leg and forcing the other to buckle, the young kid wailing in agony all the while. He steps behind her, wrapping his arm around her head and snapping the Hyena's neck. Her broken body falls to a heap at his feet, and the lab finally falls eerily silent, apart from our sharp, rapid breaths.

**The riot helmet **Jay is holding drops to the floor with a dull thud. She staggers towards Sarah and the two embrace tightly for a moment. As they check each other over for injuries, Dima moves to a nearby maintenance room, flipping a few switches and bathing the lab in light, which reveals just how much horrific violence just unfolded.

"Holy fuck." I whimper.

Hyena bodies surround me in a ring, mangled and twisted in a giant, bloody heap. I can't help but look down at my worn and blood-stained uniform.

"You're right, Sarah." Faye says slowly. She moves her hand away from her face, revealing a trickle of crimson coming from under her eye patch. "These Hyenas aren't people anymore."

All of us look around and take in the destruction all around.

"Jesus." Sarah says between breaths. "What is this? Deleted scenes from Cabin in The Woods? These guys are fuckin' animals."

"I've never been on a safari." Jay replies, placing a hand comfortingly on her partner's shoulder. "But I don't think even real life Hyenas would act like that."

"Sweep the room." Faye orders, giving Dima his rifle back. "Leave no survivors. Take all the ammo you can carry." Dima gives her hand a squeeze as the two of them head towards the next room.

* * *

**A/N I think some could say that the 'Good Guys' can be just as merciless and bloodthirsty as the 'Bad Guys'.**

**The Hyenas are personally my favorite faction to fight, with the True Sons and Black Tusk tied for second. I _despise _fighting the Outcasts, with their Tanks armed with Sledgehammers. It's like Ubisoft had a meeting one day that opened with: "You know what'll piss off players the most?" **

**(JK Ubisoft I love you guys)**


	17. Going Scavving

**Meanwhile…**

**Constitution Hall**

**Cpl. Anthony Miller**

**New York Army National Guard**

**"So, windshield glass." **Finnigan says, reading from the list the mechanics gave us. "Rear window glass, door window and motor, side view mirrors, new radiator, tailgate…. Jesus are they just building Sarah a new truck?"

"We saw firsthand how shot up it got." I reply as we approach a long abandoned traffic jam. "And they said 'If we at least find most of the parts, it's fine.' I'd say a new radiator is the first priority."

"What happened to the old one?" Lazka asks curiously.

"Hit and run." Upton replies. "Hyena versus 2 tons of steel."

"Nice. Wish I could've been there for that."

In the line of rusted and rotting cars, we find a truck that's similar to Sarah's. Same make and model, but likely a different year.

"Most G.M. cars have mostly universal parts." Lazka says, diminishing our concerns. "At least this'uns windows are in decent shape." Finnigan gives the door handle a tug, to no avail.

"Locked." He muses. "That's weird. You'd think in a nationwide emergency, people would be more concerned about themselves instead of their vehicles."

The windows of the truck are dark, as if coated in dirt, but the outside is nearly spotless. Upton tries looking in, uselessly wiping on the glass.

"Ugh, something reeks in there." He says. "Hopefully no animals tried to make a home out of this thing."

I take out a screwdriver for the lock, Tyler and I being rather well versed in...exploring things that aren't exactly open to the public.

"If they are," I say. "Consider them officially evicted."

The lock pops and I pull open the door. To everyone's horror, the partially decayed body of a man falls out onto the pavement at my feet.

"Oh...sweet Jesus." Lazka says, covering her mouth and nose.

We all step away, coughing up a storm as the foul stench of rot pours out of the overheated cab.

"Back off, Lazka!" Upton calls, pulling her further away. "It could be contaminated." She nods and frantically dons a mask.

"Holy shit." I say, voice muffled by my sleeve. "That's worse than Central Park."

"Well… what do we do now?" Finnigan asks.

I look at the truck-turned-grave in front of us, thinking for a long moment.

"We can at least take the engine bay parts from here." I say finally. "As for the glass… You could probably soak it in a Purell-Clorox cocktail for a month and the smell still wouldn't be gone."

"Didn't they try something like that on Mythbusters once?" Upton recalls.

"They did." Lazka replies after a moment as I take a step towards the truck, her voice muffled by the mask. "If I remember, all they were able to do was sell it for parts."

"So someone dies in a car, it sits for a long time, then they clean it and try to sell it?" Finnigan asks.

"Yes."

"So that would be myth...plausible." I say, reaching in for the hood release handle. The hood pops open and Upton quickly gets to work, wrenching the radiator free.

"Anything else, my good sir?" He asks Finnigan, who looks down at the shopping list.

"They want more coolant, since most of it leaked out or evaporated." He looks up at Lazka. "Any idea where we could find any?" Shelby thinks for a moment, then a rather dark expression crosses her face.

"At the D.C. Cab Company's garage." She says. "Further west. It used to be one of our control points, but now...the Outcasts have it."

"Oh no." I quickly shoot the idea down for her sake. "We AREN'T going there."

"We'll probably be here until all the factions go down." Upton points out, lifting the radiator out of the truck and looking it over. "Just like Manhattan. There's no real rush. That control point can wait for the big push against the Outcasts."

I notice Lazka shudder slightly, likely at the very thought of fighting them again. "If it really comes to it, we can just use water." I say, taking a somewhat protective stance next to Shelby. For some reason, it feels instinctive. Like it's the right thing to do. "It does pretty much the same thing."

"As long as it doesn't get cold." Upton replies.

"Cold." Lazka echoes. "I honestly can't remember the last time the temperature went below 90…"

"I do." Finnigan grumbles. "When all this shit started. It wasn't fun, but I'd honestly take that over losing five pounds in sweat every hour."

"I'll get to work on the tailgate." I say, taking the small toolbag from Derek. I head towards the rear of the truck, Shelby following after a moment. She gives the open door a wide berth and watches my friends go to the passenger side to try their luck there.

"You see anythin' like this in New York?" She asks timidly.

"All too often." I reply simply, opening the truck bed. A small amount of water pours out as I get to work. "Back then, there was nothing we could really do, other than mark it for CERA or the CDC." I stop working for a moment of thought. "That's still sort of true, now that I think of it."

"Poor guy. I wonder where he was goin'?"

"CERA Field Hospital, maybe?" I suggest. "Or just trying to leave the city, but the Flu caught up with him."

While working on the tailgate, I notice a compartment in it that would otherwise be overlooked.

"Hey, Finn!" I call out. "This truck have its keys somewhere?"

"Yeah." Comes the reply a moment later. "Why? You looking to take a joyride with the stiff?"

"No! Just give 'em here. I found something."

After a few moments of fumbling around inside the disgusting cab, Tyler emerges with the truck's keys. He tosses the rather large keyring my way and Upton helps him wipe himself down. A few different keys later, the compartment pops open, revealing a somewhat dirty 12 gauge shotgun.

_"Perfect"_ I say to myself.

"Hey, Shelby." I say, getting her attention. "You ever work with shotguns before?"

"Where am I from, again?" She asks.

"Good point." I chuckle. "Here." I lift the gun from it's rack in the compartment and offer it to her.

"Nice find!" She says excitedly, taking the gun from me and looking it over.

"Think of it as a way to say 'Thanks for last night.' The beers and good company. I think I needed it."

Lazka looks up at me for a long moment.

"I did to." She says warmly. I can almost see the smile forming under her mask.


	18. Play Ball

**District Union Arena**

**Arena Floor**

**Sarah**

The normally spacious basketball court is strewn with CERA supply crates, piles of clothing likely belonging to the Hyenas, and other materials likely intended to turn this place into a field hospital. The few survivors of the drug lab fight appear to have retreated here, if the streaks of blood in the hallway and on the floor are any indication. Along the way, small skirmishes broke out, likely a tactic to lead us here.

"Division!" Someone in the cavernous room shouts. I exchange glances with Jay. "Welcome to the playhouse! Make yourselves at home, and enjoy the pleasurable company we have to offer!" Dozens of Hyenas charge in from all sides. Some on the scaffolding around us, some on top of the crates, but most arrive on the same level as us.

"Put on a show for me boys!" The same voice rings out again."Just don't kill them too quickly like last time!"

An avalanche of chaos descends as the Hyenas attack what little cover we have.

"Well _this _is fuckin' super!" Kelly says as she and Dima return fire. Jay huddles close to me and blindfires her ACR while I lift my SAW, resting it on the pile of exercise mats in front of us and squeezing off a long burst.

"Just kill them, you idiots!" The voice from earlier rings out after several attackers have been killed. "It's five soldiers! Just shoot them!"

A second wave of Hyenas arrive as we ready our weapons. Faye retreats to the scaffolding behind us after being given Jay's MK14 rifle. Kelly stays with Dima on the right, Jay and I go left, and we funnel the Hyena Rushers and gunners into a 'Corridor of Death' of sorts.

"Aaargh! You killed all of 'em!" The voice, whom ISAC has finally identified as 'Dime' roars at us. "I guess if you want something done right, you do it yourself, eh?" The man himself eventually appears, flanked by more of his goons and carrying a large shield similar to Rebound's.

**"Ah… Dime." **My partner says, SAW at the ready. "I'd wondered why all the birds had suddenly stopped singing." He stops and looks directly at her, appearing confused.

"But if you're here…" Sarah continues. "Who's guarding _Hades_?" She demands pointedly. The Hyena at Dime's side shakes his head and opens fire at Sarah, who quickly drops to the ground.

"See, Babe?" I say with an annoyed tone, "That's what people want to do to you when you make those stupid jokes."

"These guys are _so _uncultured!" She replies, lifting her machine gun again. She unloads into the small pack surrounding Dime, taking out a Thrower and a few Assaults.

"Everyone out of my way!" A Rusher shouts, taking a dose of Spice and charging towards Dima, laughing and screaming maniacally all the way. As the Hyena is cut down by Faye, Kelly lifts her RPG and, with some help from Dima, loads a rocket and aims it at Dime. The man himself stands defiantly on top of a set of scaffolding on the far side of the arena, appearing to not be concerned with what the young Guardsman is up to. During a lapse in the gunfire, Kelly fires, the blast deafening all of us for a moment. Dime simply watches in despair as the rocket flies towards him, blasting away the ground from under his feet. The Hyena leader falls, followed by the twisted metal heap of the scaffolding he was on. After several seconds of loud crashing, the arena falls silent.

Sarah takes the lead, shotgun at the ready. I follow her close behind, and after a few moments, we find Dime in the middle of the debris pile.

"Good shot, Kelly." I say, receiving a small warm smile from her.

Sarah reaches the Hyena leader first. He's impaled on a metal rod and reaching for his Tec-9 that he dropped in the fall. My partner steps towards the gun and slides it closer to him with her boot, only to stomp on his wrist when he grabs the pistol grip. Dime frantically tries to pull his hand free, but stops when Sarah hits the rod he is stuck on with her shotgun butt.

"What are you doing, Sarah?" Kelly asks. She doesn't respond, instead kneeling down and leaning in very close to Dime.

"Is this where you saw yourself two years ago, pal?" My partner asks casually, given her subject's state. "In charge of a pack of wild animals who kill whoever they want ant take whatever they want?"

"Beautiful, aren't they?" He replies. "Not...hrr….perfect by any means. My Hyenas are free. As long as they don't fuck with the other Packs… They do what they want to."

"Your people." Faye says angrily, stepping towards our unofficial POW. "Your 'people' aren't people. They're jackals, thugs, drug addled fiends and mindless killers who prey on the few survivors of this city."

"Call...hngh...call them whatever you want. Do whatever you want to me. But I will be remembered, and my glorious creation...the Hyenas...will continue on."

Sarah sighs, shrugs, then pulls her pistol from it's holster, aiming it at Dime's head.

"Have it your way then, bud."

*BANG*

She looks around at us and stows her 1911.

"Let's go. I fear we may have overstayed our welcome."

* * *

**A/N Apologies for the late upload. There have been some service interruptions with my internet provider, but it should be up again soon. (I'm writing this from the library.) It's a bit short, I know. Writers Block is a bitch. The real story will pick up soon, just have to get through some story missions first. Thanks for sticking around, everyone. And thanks for reading!**


	19. Blast From the Past

**Hi everybody. I'm back from the dead!**

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. As I said in the last one, we were having some issues with our internet provider, however it appears to be resolved.**

**I made the chapter nice and long (Nearly 4000 words! A new record...I think) so there's plenty to enjoy until the next one, and hopefully I'll get a schedule going again soon.**

**So, as Fallout 4's Codsworth once said: "Enough feeling sorry for myself!"**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Ten Minutes Later**

**SHD Safehouse Codename: LAST STOP**

**E St and 6th**

**A somewhat eerie **silence has fallen over the group since the Arena raid. Faye quietly reports on our success, and everything we found, to Manny over the radio. Dima stands with her, cradling his AK and slowly pacing back and forth. Jay is in place near the entrance we came through, in case any Hyenas tried to follow us. Sarah sits on a pile of sandbags stacked in front of a cargo train car, resting her chin on her knuckles.

I find myself feeling differently to how I did at the White house. In President Ellis' office, I felt like I was among giants. Like I didn't belong with a group of the finest Agents in the entire Division. They seemed so much bigger back there, as well as back in New York. They are Agents of the Strategic Homeland Division. Elite, top secret sleeper agents, armed with the finest weapons and gear, the best training the armed forces has to offer, and the best battlefield intelligence. It's easy to assume that they are larger than life, especially knowing the amazing things they do. Rescuing civilians and JTF officers, like myself.

But at the end of the day, they're still just regular people. Even Roxwell, who some might see as a homicidal maniac.

I wander in Sarah's direction and lean next to her SAW, letting my M16 hang by its strap.

"_That _is what D.C. has been up against?" She asks after a moment, her voice echoing off of the brick walls and concrete floor. "All that time?"

"That and more." I reply. "According to Manny."

"How? Those Hyenas weren't even people. How have they fought back _alone_ for two years?"

"Maybe it wasn't always this bad?" I suggest. "Though there wasn't much talk between Washington and the rest of the country, like Captain Benitez said…"

"If so," Sarah begins. "then why did it all fall to shit now? How did they keep the peace until now?" The Agent looks up at me. "How, Kelly?"

For the first time, I'm at a loss for words. I've never been asked something like that, especially from someone like Sarah, whom I've often looked to for leadership and guidance. Minus the weapons and carrier vest, she resembles a civilian looking to me, a JTF soldier, to guide her.

And seeing that in someone like Sarah would likely scare _anyone_.

"I...I don't know."

"D.C. definitely had better security and armed forces presence that anywhere else." Faye comments. "I'm sure that contributed to it."

"But these Hyenas are like the Rikers back home." Sarah says. "Only there's more of them and their all on drugs."

"From what Alani and Thomas said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Bio-terrorist Outcasts, True Sons rebels, and a group of freaks just called 'The Underground'."

"What's their beef, you think?" the troubled Agent at my side asks.

"No idea. Probably just a group of conspiracy nuts who were already planning for something like this to happen. They live in the sewers and subways, clinging to that Cold War-style paranoia. Lot's of subway stations, sewer substations and basements here were modified to double as fallout shelters back in the '50s and '60s."

Silence descends once again as Sarah nervously eyes the blocked off subway tunnel behind us. I stand from my leaning position and begin to wander around the small safehouse, eventually finding myself standing next to Jay at the door. She has relaxed a bit, her rifle low, but she still periodically looks out the doorway and up the flight of stairs leading to the outside.

"It's been over ten minutes, Jay." I say quietly. She looks down at the floor, then at me. "I doubt they'll find us, even if they followed."

Jay nods, but doesn't say anything.

"What are you thinking about?"

"How much this reminds me of a mission I was on a while back." Jay finally responds. "Back in Afghanistan. I'm sure you know the one, Sarah."

The Agent in question nods, still in the same spot where I left her.

"That I do." She replies grimmly.

* * *

**Camp Dwyer Marine Base**

**Helmand**** River Valley, southern Afghanistan**

**Cpl. Jaylene Roberts**

**March 2007**

**11:35 hrs**

**"Hey! Roberts!" **I'm awakened by the voice followed by the impact of a paper object landing in my lap. I lift the brim of my cover to see Sgt. Terry Hawthorne standing over me. Rubbing my eyes, I look around for a brief moment.

I'm in the rec room of Camp Dwyer, at the table in the center. My boot-clad feet still rest on the table, my boots themselves unlaced. I glance down at the magazine I was reading before I dozed off. Other than the two of us, the room is empty.

"What's up, Sarge?"

"A briefing. Got a tip from a local about something going on in the nearby village." I sit up slightly and lean towards my boots to tie them. "You'll hear the rest later. Where's Green?" He asks after looking around.

"Probably in the barracks." I say with a small yawn and stretch. "I'll go find her."

"Get yourselves kitted up and to the briefing room." Hawthorne orders before leaving the rec room. As he opens the door, a large gust of wind flies in, carrying with it a cloud of dust and sand. I drop the mag on the table and take up a jog to follow him.

A small sandstorm has entered the area of the camp, greatly reducing visibility. I don my shades and bury my face into the crook of my sleeve before heading in the area of the barracks.

_"God, I hate this place."_ I mutter to myself. Sandstorms are unfortunately common for this area of the Helmand River Valley, or as many veteran Leathernecks have dubbed it, 'Hell Man'. The dust storms pop up out of nowhere, and temperatures often hit 130 degrees. Since it's technically 'spring', today it was only 75. There are almost no native Afghani's around, making the Valley a hotspot for the Taliban. Skirmishes just outside the wire are frequent, and patrols are sometimes deadly, especially at night. It's gotten to the point where the Marines on permanent posting here have built a memorial wall by the entrance to the base. At the moment, despite the base's young age, the number of names has broken 100 and shows no signs of slowing down.

I tug open the door to the barracks and find the woman I'm looking for. My best friend and battle buddy, Sarah. As usual, her nose is buried in her latest copy of the New York Times, dated for the 12th. Sarah looks up from the paper as I enter.

"Honey, I'm home." I say jokingly, shaking the sand out of my hair bun.

"What brings you here?" She asks happily.

"Briefing. There's something going on in one of the villages further south." I reply.

"Sick." Sarah folds up her newspaper and heads towards her locker, taking out her vest, helmet and backpack. I walk up to where she was seated and glance at the paper.

_"Market Attacks in Baghdad. At Least 67 Dead" _reads the headline.

"Yikes." I comment, following Sarah to my own locker.

"I'd rather be there." My companion says, pulling on her helmet. "No sand storms. What do you think is going on?"

"No idea." I pull my shemagh up and goggles down as we head to the door. Sarah does the same, slinging her SAW over her shoulder.

The sand storm itself appears to have calmed a bit, but it's still quite windy outside. Sarah and I follow the tail end of a group of Marines headed to the briefing room. Briefings are usually held outside, but on days like this, exceptions are made. Our dynamic duo files in towards the back of the room, with twenty or so Marines either standing or seated in front of us.

"Afternoon, boys and girls." Lieutenant Ronald Taylor addresses the platoon. "I'll be quick. We got a tip from some locals in a village to the south. One of them escaped from a trafficking ring, and she's given us some details of their whereabouts." He turns to a map of the valley behind him. "It's located here. We'll mount up and head down to investigate, with medical transport on station. The local says enemy presence is rather substantial, but they're inexperienced with frontline combat. We're heading in to investigate and rescue any captives who are still there, then secure the place and set up a garrison. You're the quick reaction force, Marines. Mount up."

The platoon files out of the room and heads for the motor pool. I take the wheel of one of the humvees, with Sarah taking the passenger seat. LCpl. Douglas and Pfc. Ramos take the back, with Pfc. Dunn on the .50cal. I pull or vehicle into the third slot of our small convoy of five, and we're away.

"**Time for a** road trip, eh ladies?" Douglas calls out, tapping the top of my helmet."

"That it is." Jay says as we pull away from the base.

Several minutes of bouncing around a giant tin can later, we're approaching the target compound. I begin to fiddle with the radio until some voices can be heard. It appears that somewhere somewhat nearby, there's a search and destroy operation in full swing, as many of the transmissions have audible gunfire in the background.

_"One, I don't see any fuckin' smoke. Where's the goddamn houses at?" _One voice asks.

_"Four, I'm gonna shoot with .50cal tracers now." _Comes the reply a moment later. The words are hard to make out over the static.

_"Four, One. You see it?"_

_That's how close the damn house is?!"_

_"Roger!"_

_"Move forward a bit. I don't have eyes on right now."_

_"Four, you ready?"_

_"Alright, I guess we're gonna blow a hole in this goddamn house. That's all I can see right now."_

_"Yeah roger. That's where they were bein' engaged from."_

_"Four, One. Contact. Contact fire."_

_"Red Four find out where these fuckin' incoming rounds are gonna go to!"_

As the lead vehicle of our column appears to slow down, I tune back to our operation frequency.

_"-vised a white van just pulled up on the left side of the building." _Says one of the gunners.

_"Think they saw us?" _Someone asks.

_"Most likely. All vehicles, all forward. Hold formation and watch your spacing. Gunners, I want eyes on. Report any movement."_

The convoy speeds up, our Humvee jostling around rather violently as we hit dips and rocks in the dirt road. A loud thump is heard in the back, followed by an exclamation of discomfort.

"Aow! Jesus!" Ramos calls out. "My fuckin' head!"

"You okay back there?" I ask.

"Yeah. The inside of these things is too cramped."

"They weren't built for tall ass freaks like you, Ramos!" I jeer at him.

"Easy for you to say, Sarah. What are you, four foot two?"

"Very funny."

Our banter is cut short by a volley of bullets cracking over our heads.

"Woah!" Dunn shouts. "They're shootin' at us!"

"Well shoot back, dammit!" Jay orders, following the second vehicle's lead by turning off the road and directly towards the compound.

_"All vehicles, push towards the compound. Return fire!" _Taylor orders simultaneously, Dunn nearly drowning him out with a long burst.

Jay puts the pedal to the metal, overtaking the other vehicles and quickly taking the lead.

"RPG!" Dunn cries helplessly as a rocket sails towards us.

Our driver tugs the wheel sharply to the left, but she was too late.

The RPG rocket digs into the ground in front of us and detonates, making our humvee pole vault over the blast and land on it's side, the roof facing the compound.

Dunn scrambles back into the vehicle, since by some miracle he wasn't thrown out of his seat, as the roof gets peppered by incoming rounds. Through the cracked and half buried windshield, I see one of the other vehicles stop and the Marines dive out towards us.

"One-Three took a hit." I say shakily into the radio, silencing the hails directed at us. "RPG. We're overturned, but okay." One of our comrades jumps onto the drivers side and tugs open Jay's door. Rounds whizz over his head as he reaches in and takes my partner's hand, pulling her out of her seat. He reaches in again for me, but takes a hit and falls off of the truck, the door nearly slamming on my fingers.

I can hear the chaos of battle all around as I fumble around for my SAW, still slightly dazed from the crash. Weapon in hand, I watch Ramos and Douglas climb out of their seats, the back door closing behind them. I stand awkwardly on the inside of the passenger door and push on the drivers. It squeaks open and I pull myself up, taking a moment to look around.

The attack has definitely hit a rut, now that we have a vehicle and at least one man down. One-Two has taken a defensive position next to our wreck, the gunner squeezing off long bursts at the compound. Several rounds crack over our heads as I pull myself out of the Humvee and down onto the ground. The wounded Marine who tried to help us is being attended to by the Corpsman, Lt. Taylor and 1stSgt. Lee scream out orders, only adding to the deafening cacophony of the firefight, and Jay appears to be the only level-headed one in the whole place as she jogs towards me.

"Sarah! You okay, Sista?!"

"Just fantastic! Why aren't we pushing up?!"

"Waiting for you!" She turns to Taylor.

"One-Three is accounted for, Sir!" She shouts at him.

"Outstanding! Spread out and pick a Humvee! Use them for cover as they advance!"

I follow Jay to one of the vehicles beginning to advance. Incoming rounds whistle over our heads and hit the sand and rocks around our feet. The humvee speeds up, and the Marines with us take up a jogging pace to keep up.

After what feels like ages, the humvee stops at the entrance to the compound. I take the lead and lay down suppressing fire, hosing the immediate area with gunfire. Two or three Taliban soldiers take several rounds and fall.

"Okay, you got 'em all!" Douglas shouts at me. "Quit shootin' that fuckin' thing! I'm going deaf over here!"

I rest my SAW on its folded bipod and begin reloading it, careful not to touch the now super heated barrel. Jay stays by my side as the others file past and into the compound. Finishing up, our group fights its way past more enemies as we head towards the prison area.

"Mushat albahriat al'amrikiat!" (American Marines!) A thick Arabic voice calls out. " 'Atlaq alnaar ealayhim!" (Shoot them!)

Several gunshots ring out as we enter the prison. Some cells are empty, others have dead and dying prisoners inside. I switch to my M800 for close quarters, half pumping it to check the chamber. Jay slides a full magazine into her M16 and nods at me when she's ready. The two of us enter the corridor simultaneously.

"They better not shoot any of the prisoners." Ramos growls.

"I saw Guzzo loading explosives before we left." Dunn replies. "Either way, it won't be a wasted trip. This place'll be a smoking crater when we're done."

"Oorah." Jay says simply. "Let's get it done."

"Hadinh satamut min ajl allah." (These ones will die for God.) A voice echoes from a room at the end of the hall, followed by the sound of several weapons being loaded.

_"One-One to all units." _Our radio crackles. _"Say status, over."_

_"One-Four, we've cleared the crows nest."_

_"One-Two. Inner courtyard is clear."_

_"One-Five, picking up rear security. We'll mop up the stragglers."_

"One-Three." I say. "We've breached the prison block. Possible hostages. Moving to secure."

_"One-One copies all. Four, keep an eye out for reinforcements. Three, continue as planned. Two, move inside and support Three. Head for the prison. One is sweeping the barracks and control center. Over and out."_

"Min fadlik la tafeal hadha!" (Please don't do this!) A young sounding voice pleads. "Sanafeal 'aya shay' turiduh!" (We will do anything you want!)

"Laqad faqadt hadhih alfursat eindama harab sadiquk wa'akhbir al'amrikiiyn eanaa." (You lost that chance when your friend escaped and told the Americans about us.) Another voice declares. "Ta'akad min 'iilqa' allawm ealayha fi tariqik 'iilaa aljana." (Be sure to blame _her _on your way to Heaven.)

"We gotta get in there." I hiss to my comrades as we reach the door. "After you, Jay."

My partner nods and looks to everyone for a moment, then delivers a heave kick to the metal door. The soldiers and prisoners inside jump in surprise.

"US Marines!" She screams at them. "Drop your weapons!" I file in next to her, followed by Douglas, Dunn and Ramos.

"Drop it!" I shout at the first soldier I see, who looks frantically around at his compatriots. "Qatara! 'Iisqat albunduqia!"

This screaming match continues for several tense seconds until one of the soldiers finally replies.

"Nastaslim!" He shouts at us and his men. "Nastaslim!" He raises his rifle over his head, and the others do the same shortly after. I lower my gun and look to one of the hostages, a girl who looks to be in her late teens, and wave her towards us. She pushes herself up hesitantly and somewhat awkwardly, her hands still bound. More prisoners from around the room chance an approach as Dunn moves to confiscate the insurgents' weapons.

"I didn't know you spoke Arabic, Green." Douglas remarks.

"It helps to be prepared, I guess." I reply, turning to my radio. "One-Three to all units, hostages secure. Two, care to lend a hand?"

_"10-4. We're comin' to ya."_

Ramos and Douglas begin leading the hostages out of the room, while Jay and I stay with Dunn.

"Hey, woah. What's this?" Dunn asks as he reaches one of the soldiers. "What's attached to your gun, man?"

"Watcha got, Dunn?" Jay asks.

"Dunno. There's a wire coming out of this guy's sleeve and leading to his hand."

"Oh...fuck." I whisper to myself. "Get away from him, dude!"

Before Dunn can react, the soldier grabs ahold of him. The several hostages still in the room try to flee at the commotion.

"ALLAH HU AKBAR!" Someone bellows.

"Get the fuck ou-!"

*BOOM!*

**Meanwhile...**

**Sgt. Terry Hawthorne**

**Diamond One-Two**

**Down the hall from One-Three's location**

**"What the hell** was that?!" All of us shout in one variation or another as a massive explosion rocks the entire compound. The blast sent a large cloud of dust our way and civilians can be heard screaming in terror as they run past. We push forward through the dust and debris cloud towards the prison.

A.K.A. ground zero.

"Diamond One-Three!" I shout. "Roberts! Green! Douglas! Anyone here?"

"Ramos is here." A voice replies. "Over here guys!" McCord turns on his flashlight, eventually finding Ramos. He's leaning against a column, covered head to toe in dust.

"You good, bro?" I find myself pleading to him. "Where's everyone else?"

"Douglas and I were out here." Ramos explains. "Green, Roberts and Dunn were...in there." He points to the doorway behind him, which appears to be where the blast came from.

Pennington finds Douglas and helps him into a sitting position against the wall. Other than some bruises and a bad headache from the explosion, he seems to be uninjured. McCord, Drinkwater and I continue into the next room, unsure of what we'll find.

Carnage. That's the only word that comes to mind. It looks as if somebody set of a bomb inside a busy department store. Dead civilians are scattered everywhere, but Dunn and the captors Green mentioned are nowhere to be seen.

Green and Roberts themselves are found rather easily. Sarah is propped up against a wall, likely thrown across the room by the blast, seated as if she had just plopped down for a nap. Her legs are partially buried by rubble, and Drinkwater gets to work digging her out and trying to wake her.

Jaylene is a similar story. She's on her side facing away from us. One of the civilian hostages landed on her and he is already doing his best to help.

"Diamond One-One." I begin after gathering myself for a moment. "We've reached the prison. An IED was likely the cause of the blast. All but Pfc. Dunn are accounted for. Beginning search."

"Green?" I hear Drinkwater say, snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Green can you hear me? You okay?"

"Yeah." She replies after a long moment, sounding very groggy. "Wha...what the fuck just happened?"

* * *

**A/N-**

**This chapter actually took a surprising amount of research to complete, at least about actual stuff and not game lore. Camp Dwyer is in fact a real U.S. Military outpost in the Helmand River Valley of Afghanistan. Aside from the raid completely going to hell, missions like this are somewhat common for the Marines on station there.**

**Thanks for staying tuned, folks. More chapters to come soon. Thanks for reading and see you next time!**


	20. R and R

**Penn Quarter, Judiciary Square**

**E St. Northwest**

**Half an hour later...**

**"So what happened** next?" I ask as the story comes to a close. Our team steps out onto a street bathed in sunset orange.

"All we found was his helmet." Sarah glumly concludes, taking a drag of her cigarette. "Out of the twenty or so hostages, only six made it."

"Christ…" Faye murmurs, appearing just as riveted by the story as I am. I can hardly imagine the other horrible things Jay and Sarah have seen and had to do during their military careers. Although from what I know about Sarah, I know not to ask. It's a touchy subject amongst most vets, especially with her.

"I believe the operation was called a 'Strategic Failure'." The former Marine shakes her head. "Yeah, and I'm Mickey Mouse."

_"I can't believe I actually envied them."_ I think to myself, looking down as I step around a pothole. _"I once wished that I had gone into a combat zone. How Sarah and Jay told that story...all the details...I doubt I would've come back even remotely sane, if I came back at all."_

It seems like every time I speak to Sarah or Jay, my mind is blown a little more and my perspective changes all over again. They likely have no idea how influential they are.

"To me, a DD-214 is proof of the existence of God." Sarah says after a moment. "I thought that second tour would never end, especially after you left." She, as well as all of us, look to Jay at this, who migrates towards her troubled companion and gives her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Soon after, we find ourselves entering the White House.

"How about you three get some rest." Faye suggests, seeming to direct it at Sarah. "You've earned it. Dima and I will report to Manny."

The Agent in question looks down, then nods, Jay following her towards the shower area. I find myself wandering off to find my companions.

"Kelly!" A voice calls. "Over here!"

I look around to find Finnigan waving me over to the armory area. The three of them plus one of Manny's people are sitting at a bench and working on their weapons.

"You met Lazka, right?" He asks as I enter. The guardsman in question looks up from a shotgun she's cleaning, a half finished cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

"I have now." I reply warmly, reaching in to shake her hand. "A pleasure, Lazka."

"Please, call me Shelby." She replies with a sweet sounding southern accent.

"Okay. In that case, call me Kelly. What kind of trouble have you all been getting into?"

"Just looking for parts for Sarah's truck." Upton replies as he stuffs a cleaning swab down the barrel of his rifle. "So no charges that'll stick."

"Your man Anthony found this for me while we were out." Shelby lifts the shotgun she's tinkering with as I set my rifle down.

"Very nice." I say with a nod. "These three never get _me _anything." I quip, nudging Tyler in the arm.

"What're you looking at me for?" He asks defensively. "Besides, you're our superior. Our gift to you is our very presence, and the fact that you are given the privilege to lead us." Finnigan concludes proudly.

"A pity I lost the receipt." I mutter just loud enough for them to hear. Shelby laughs loudly while Miller rests his face in his hands.

**"Zoe Saldana." **Sarah finally says after a moment of thought.

"Seriously? I may be light-skinned, but I'm not Dominican. How do you figure?" I ask as we head towards the barracks in clean(er) clothes. Mid shower, she came up with the idea of selling our story to a film studio, and we're deciding who would play all of us.

"Guardians of The Galaxy." She begins, counting on her fingers. "Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Avatar, Colombiana. I could go on."

"Alright, alright. But what about you?" I ask. "I'm thinking Sigourney Weaver."

"Really? Come on!" My partner scoffs. "I'm not six feet tall, or near on seventy." We enter the barracks and sit on Sarah's rack. "Besides, I couldn't live up to her. I'm thinking Emily Blunt. Or maybe Anne Hathaway. Just not Michelle Rodriguez. She's too overused in action movies."

"I was going to say Hathaway for Kelly." I reply. "But I see how that could work."

"Blunt for me and Hathaway for her?"

"Yeah. Alright, how about Faye?"

That stumps her for a moment, and I steal the chance to look my best friend-turned girlfriend over.

After just a few days here in D.C., the brutal summer sun has already given her a farmers tan and mickey mouse hands. Both of which are punctuated by the tank top I suspect she has stolen from me. She rests her sun-kissed chin on her pale white knuckles, pondering my question.

"Ming-Na Wen." She concludes. "I'm sure Faye knows martial arts, at least to some degree, plus it'll bring in the Disney fans."

I find myself laying back on the bed, resting my head in my hands, a move that Sarah soon copies.

"What a crazy mission this is turning out to be, huh?" I ask.

"Like cleaning up a mountain of shit with a toothpick." Sarah comments.

"Well, with each faction we take down, a big chunk gets taken off the top. And since we have President Ellis with us, that has to be a big plus."

"Yeah, that's another thing I find odd." Sarah rolls on her side to face me, propping herself up on her elbow. "Why the hell is he even here? You see how bad D.C. is right now. Why would anyone of the President's Cabinet in their right mind come back? I would think he should be at Raven Rock, or Cheyenne Mountain."

"Maybe it was to show that the country is making a comeback?" I suggest.

"It is. Just not here. Go to New York, or Boston, L.A., Philly, literally _anywhere_ other than here."

"You know what? Let's not talk about this." I say, shaking my head.

"Well, what do you wanna talk about?" My partner asks.

**"I'm thinking of… **something else." Jay slowly leans in and delivers a deep, passionate kiss. A gesture which I happily return. As we exchange kisses, I open my eyes to see her straddling me. I can't help but get a big eye full, resting my hands on her toned thighs.

To me, what makes Jay beautiful is her simplicity. She's never been big on cosmetics. The most she's ever done since I've known her was use nail polish, which she applied some time before we left and is slowly chipping off. Jay has never wanted to change her appearance in any serious way, opting for her natural looks, of which she has more than enough of.

"How about this for a topic?" She asks with a sly grin.

"This'll work." I nod, my hands migrating up to her waist. "It'll make a great scene for the movie, too."

She laughs softly, leaning down towards me again.

Heaven itself couldn't possibly feel as blissful as this.


	21. Storming The Castle

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Briefing Room**

**Two Weeks Later…**

"Okay people." Manny begins, looking around at the Agents and soldiers around the room. "This is the big one." He points to the Capitol Building on his map, represented by a toy nutcracker. "The True Sons are the last ones standing between us, and a liberated and cleansed D.C."

"This won't be easy by any means." Alani explains, stepping forward. "The True Sons have heavily fortified the whole place. We'll be walking into a meat grinder, especially if we go during the day. There are mortar teams and heavy machine guns on the roof, with pillboxes here, and here. If we go at night, it'll be harder for them to target us."

"What about stealth?" Kelly asks.

"Our team is too large, and the roof gunners have spotlights. Not to mention that this can't be done with a smaller team." Alani says. "Our plan is to use the Air Force One crash site as a springboard. From there, the Militia will give us covering fire with mortars stolen from the True Sons in one of the earlier raids. Flare rounds, HE, you get the idea. Defenders will likely try to return fire, so they'll have to be highly mobile. Fire, then move, repeat. The assault team will hop the fence here, and use ISAC to mark the first mortar targets. Ours won't have the range to reach the roof, so keep that sniper handy, Jay."

My companion nods confidently.

"Kelly, I'd stick with her as well. Faye tells me you've gotten the hang of that RPG."

"Just warn us before you fire it." I comment. "My ears are still ringing from the Arena." I make a show of rubbing my ear and snapping my fingers next to it, earning a slap on the shoulder from Jay and a light chuckle from everyone in the room.

"Once you're over the fence, get to the entrance by any means necessary. Find President Ellis' briefcase, likely in the control room, and get it to the roof for helo extraction."

"We know for certain that General Ridgeway is there." Manny says. "He'll likely make an appearance, since you are storming his castle."

"Rules of engagement?" Roxwell asks.

"Kill every True Son in sight." Manny replies flatly.

"Simple tastes." I say with a grin. "I knew I liked you, Manny."

"Agents, I cannot stress to you how important this is. Clearing the Capitol Building and recovering that briefcase are essential to securing D.C.. Make any necessary preparations, then head out. The attack will commence after sunset. Dismissed."

Our rather large group files out of Manny's office and splinters in several directions. Some go to the armory, some to the Quartermaster, some to the barracks. Jay, Faye and I are among the latter group. I move to my rack to pick up my Go-Bag.

"Hey Sarah." I hear Faye pipe up behind me. "Got a second?"

I turn around to see her standing somewhat sheepishly in the middle of the room.

"Sure thing."

"I...I owe all of you an apology. Dragging you down here without a second thought, then making you out to be the bad guy when you protested." She directs that last part at me. "For lack of a better word, I was a dick. And I know you like to wear your feelings on your sleeves, and you're very direct about things you don't like. That's something no amount of arguing is ever going to change."

I find myself in some sort of trance. I've never heard Faye say anything remotely like this, let alone to me. She looks down at the floor, then up to me with an unsure expression.

"Hey, apology accepted." I say, offering a handshake which she gladly accepts. "Water under the bridge."

"Thank you, Sarah. I've been meaning to say that for some time now."

"It's all good. Besides, I'm sure you had your reasons."

* * *

**Air Force One Crash Site**

**East Mall**

**Several Hours Later…**

**"Christ, look at that** place." My companion says as her, Kelly and myself sit on the wing of the destroyed plane. Directly ahead of us stands the Capitol Building. Alani wasn't kidding when she called it a fortress. The lights on the dome are still on, assisted by the last remnants of sunlight, all of which reveal how fortified the place is.

Several watchtowers guard over the grounds, giving the men inside an unparalleled view of the downward slope below them. Small pillboxes dot the landscape, and a large CIWS cannon sits imposingly on the roof, daring us to attack. Combined with the small trench network and rows of anti-vehicle obstacles, it worryingly resembles Omaha Beach.

Kelly watches the True Sons wander around inside the grounds through her binoculars. Sarah is on the other side of her, starting what has to be her fifth cigarette since our arrival less than an hour ago. The breeze blowing past, the crickets singing all around, and the creaking metal wreck we're seated on creates an eerily peaceful ambience, considering what is about to unfold.

"I don't know about this." Sarah says nervously after letting out a shaky breath. "I mean look at it."

"I hear that." Kelly replies in a similar tone. "How are the twelve of us supposed to take this place down?"

"Sarah." I begin. "Remember the U.N. raid?" At my partner's nod I continue. "That place was just as fortified. _And _there were Rogue Agents runnin' around. Raptor? Tarantula?"

Sarah lets out a sigh at the memory, taking another long drag.

"Plus, the True Sons don't have an attack helicopter."

"But they do have a pretty solid recreation of Normandy." Kelly murmurs grimmly.

"We'll get through." I reply, trying to inspire optimism in my friends. "Our boys _there _did. Right?"

"I guess they did." Sarah says finally. "Besides, these guys have numbers, but we have tech _and _the element of surprise."

Kelly and I turn to see Faye arrive down below.

"The Militia is here. It's time." She passes her gaze over us. "Get your weapons and all the ammo you can carry."

Sarah tosses her finished smoke into the pool of water below us and slides down the broken plane wing. I stand up and offer Kelly a hand. She very reluctantly takes it and slowly rises to her feet, slinging her rifle over her shoulder and placing her helmet on her head. I snap the chin strap into place and pat the helmet encouragingly. My guardsman friend takes a deep breath and nods, taking the lead to the inside of the plane.

On the street, the Militia quietly sets up their mortars. Finnigan hands out the rest of the ammunition and weapons inside the control point. Miller and Lazka help each other with their chest rigs and helmets. Upton looks over his medical supplies one last time. Alani stands between Roxwell, Thomas and Dima, looking over a hand drawn map of the battlefield and directing them on where to go once we're past the fence. Everyone carries with them a sense of dread as to what we will expect.

To call the group 'tense' would be a gross understatement.

**After laying **several belts of ammunition around my neck, I begin loading the last box into my SAW. Jay arrives at my side, looking over her ACR.

"Ready?" She asks.

"Is anyone ever truly ready for this?"

"I'd say Roxwell is." We both turn to see the mountain of an Agent in question. He has stepped away from Alani and lightly bounces on his feet, giving his machete a few practice swings.

"Should we be worried about how 'ready' he seems to be?" I ask my companion. I continue to gaze at Roxwell as he stows his weapons and cracks his knuckles rather loudly.

"I'd say someone has to be ready, and it might as well be him." Jay replies.

"Alright, folks." Alani announces. "Form up at the fence. Mortar team, get ready with that first shot."

"And for all our sakes, don't miss." I quip as I pass, following Jay to the fence. She climbs up onto the concrete barrier and helps me up, and as a 'thanks' I give her a light slap on her behind as I pass, not looking back for her reaction. Our group slowly makes its way to the hole in the fence, only big enough for single file. Once we're there, Alani looks everyone over, then down at her watch.

"Last call for bathroom breaks!" Finnigan whispers, earning a slap on the helmet from Miller.

_"I've never been very religious." _I think to myself. _"But any Gods who are out there, please watch over us. Let us get across this battlefield safely."_

My silent prayer is nearly interrupted by Alani signaling to the mortar team, and them firing.

"GO!" Faye screams as the mortar shell whistles over our heads.

"Here goes nothing, comrades!" Dima calls out.

* * *

I step through the fence hole just as the mortar shell impacts with a pillbox, sending sandbags, chunks of concrete and wood splinters in every direction. Jay follows me in, followed by Kelly's team, the guardsman herself, and Roxwell taking up the rear.

The True Sons appear to have been taken completely by surprise, as many look at the exploded bunker with confusion, only to be cut down by Faye, Dima and Alani as they blaze a path forward. Roxwell jumps up onto a footbridge above our heads and quickly cuts down any foes in his path, quite literally. I find myself following Thomas to the right, the latter taking out an Mk21 MSR and diving behind a concrete obstacle. We quickly and wordlessly create a team system, myself suppressing targets and him taking them out when they emerge again.

"I'm an idealist." Thomas jeers after a few successful shots. "...with a sniper rifle."

"And _I'm _a pessimist." I follow up. "With a machine gun."

"I knew I liked you, Sarah." He says with a chuckle.

On the other side of the battlefield, I see Jay, Kelly and Roxwell moving to the left. My companion has her 'Sharpshooter' rifle ready, letting it lean against their cover. Kelly aims her RPG at the watchtower in the center, just behind the destroyed bunker. Before I can see her fire it, ISAC chirps in my ear.

*WARNING. HIGH EXPLOSIVE PROJECTILE INCOMING* The AI suddenly highlights a large area near Thomas and I bright red, the whistle of a mortar round quickly getting louder.

"Move!" I shout at him, and we desperately scramble out of the way.

**Our entire offensive **stops as the concussive blast from a massive explosion slams into us. I'm the first to look up, and I'm greeted by large chunks of dirt raining down all around. Instinctively, I look to where Sarah last was, only to see a smoking crater.

"There's the artillery!" Lazka shouts from somewhere behind me. "Right on queue!"

"Sarah?!" I cry over the short range. "Sarah!"

_"I'm good!" _Comes the reply a few moments later. _"So is Thomas. Fuckin' shockwave is gonna make me puke, but we're good."_

"I saw where that round came from!" I announce to everyone, lifting my rifle. "Keep an eye on the roof edge for some fireworks!"

**Meanwhile…**

**Capitol Building Roof**

**Pvt. Jessie Olivier**

**True Sons Mortar Crew**

"Hangin'!"

"FIRE!"

Pvt. Olivier quickly pulls her hands away and plugs her ears as the massive mortar shell drops into the tube and fires. Almost immediately afterward, she opens the ammunition container nearby and preps the next round.

Pvt. Neal quickly corrects the tube, aiming at the slowly advancing Militia, or Hyenas, or whoever is unlucky enough to be down below. He plugs his ears as Olivier returns with another round, struggling to lift the massive shell. Nearly fumbling it, she finally lifts it high enough to drop the tail into the tube.

"Ready!" Neal calls to her. The round shakily slides lower.

"Hanging!"

"FIRE!" The crew chief Sgt. Alenko barks. Olivier lets go and the shell fires.

This repeats several more times, yet the invaders keep advancing, cutting down the helpless gunners in the trenches. The defenders begin to question who exactly they're fighting, as several mortar rounds land in the grounds, targeting friendly positions.

Pvt. Olivier is quickly becoming exhausted. The mortar shells used by her unit are easily heavier than she is, but her small stature is earning no sympathy from the rest of the team.

"Next round! Get it up!" Alenko screams angrily at the young, scrawny Private. "Today! Hurry!" With all her might, she lifts the shell up and into the tube.

Yet the sound that followed wasn't the mortar firing, but the shot from a rifle somewhere in the distance.

It was the last thing Private Jessica Olivier ever heard.

**A cascade of **explosions ripple across the roof of the Capitol Building. A shockwave of dust flies over the heads of my compatriots as Jay cycles the bolt of her rifle. The massive shell of a .50 BMG round lands in the dirt at her feet.

"Great shot!" Roxwell calls, jumping down from the bridge and squeezing off a burst at a True Son who is about to throw a grenade. A round hits her and she drops it, trying in vain to scramble away before it detonates.

_"Kelly!"_ Faye calls over the radio. _"We're pinned by that watch tower on the right! Can you get a shot?"_

"I'm on it." I reply simply. My last shot at the tower missed when the mortar round landed earlier. Roxwell pulls a rocket out of my pack and passes it over, pulling off the contact fuse cover.

"Make it count, kiddo!" He says warmly. I slide the rocket into the tube and take aim at the tower. Two men, one ISAC has named 'Lieutenant "Doc" Simpson', fire at Faye and Sarah's positions.

"I've got target!" I call to my teammates. "Backblast?"

"Clear!" Jay confirms, covering her ears.

"Fire in the hole!"

*FWOOSH!*

Moments later, the tower blasts apart into thousands of pieces, the men inside nowhere to be seen. I kneel back down and stow the empty tube, picking up my M16 off the ground.

_"Ideal'no vystrel!"_ Dima cries happily.

_"Great shot, Kelly." _Says Faye much more professionally. _"Everyone move up! We have to get off this damn hill!"_

Finnigan and company quickly pass us, each giving their own compliment on the rocket shot. The small celebration is interrupted as we dart away from an incoming mortar round. On the right flank, Sarah is emptying her belt fed into a True Son trench. Thomas runs past her and vaults over an obstacle, disappearing into the fray. Up ahead, the defenses quickly collapse under the advancing Agents. Dima, Alani and Faye have already reached the stairs, leaving a bloody trail of destruction. Miller and Lazka take the lead towards them, easily mopping up any survivors.

_**"More hostiles **__headed to you!" _A voice on the radio announces. Thomas and I glance up at the sound of tiny rotor blades to see a drone passing overhead. It was likely sent from the White House, probably ordered by Manny, to monitor our progress.

"An eye in the sky." Thomas observes. "Manny spared no expense I see."

At the top of the small flight of stairs, a security door opens. Faye and company scramble away as more True Sons pour out, many throwing grenades or charging with shotguns.

"How many of these guys are there?!" I shout, mostly to myself. My partner doesn't answer, instead switching to his AUG A3 and blasting the first enemy he sees, just as the man was about to reach us.

"Consider yourself Peace Corps-ed!" Thomas cries enthusiastically as I ready my shotgun, fully loaded with slug rounds. I unload a shell into a Thrower who tried to sneak up on us. She keels over, letting out a pathetic sounding whimper as she falls to the ground in a heap. An idea presents itself as I pick up the True Son's belt of grenades, wrapping it around my waist.

_"These ought to come in handy."_

_"That was the last of them."_ The drone operator announces as we regroup at the bottom of the stairs. _"You should have a clear approach to the entrance."_ Jay jogs over to me and pats my shoulder.

"You okay?" She asks as Faye orders the Militia to cease fire.

"Yeah." I look down at myself, making a show of counting my fingers and limbs. "I think so. You?"

"She's the one who silenced that mortar crew on the roof!" Roxwell boasts.

"I thought so." I say as my companion shrugs modestly.

"Did we really just do that?" Kelly asks in disbelief. We all silently share that feeling as we glance around at each other.

Other than a near miss from an artillery shell, Thomas and I were unscathed in the assault. Dima went through a few body armor plates, as did Roxwell, and Finnigan took a hit in the arm, which was quickly patched up by Upton. Kelly looks down the hill at the now eerily silent battlefield. As the dust and smoke clear, the moon, and the few surviving spotlights, shine down on shell craters of various sizes, scattered debris, and fallen True Sons. Overhead, the JTF drone quietly buzzes around as it orbits us, it's operator likely wondering why we've stopped.

"That was the hard part." Roxwell says reassuringly. "Now, we just have one objective left."

"Two." Alani corrects him. "The first is the easiest. Find the briefcase."

"And the other?" Kelly asks.

"Kill Ridgeway."

"Then let's get in there and finish this." Faye declares.

Finishing with our gawking at the view, we begin to, somewhat reluctantly, follow her to the large double doors.

"This'll all be over soon." Jay says quietly in Kelly's ear.

* * *

**A/N**

**Holy smokes this took a long time to post. Apologies to anyone who thought this fic was forgotten or I was somehow incapacitated. Worry not!**

**So Faye finally apologizes to Sarah for one of the earlier events, like the entire story so far, and we are seeing the beginning of the end for the True Sons. But as we all know, they are not the _last _faction...**

**Hopefully, my writers block will pass now that this chapter is finally finished. See you all next time!**


	22. Mission Accomplished?

**Capitol Building Roof**

**Six Hours Later…**

The sun rises over a now quiet Capitol Building. Dozens of True Son bodies litter the roof, hallways and surrounding grounds. Smoke rises from an overheated machine gun propped on a sandbag wall, it's operator lying lifelessly not far away. A raven lands on the body of a True Son and begins picking at the gorey hole in her torso, occasionally giving out it's throaty call.

A small group of people stand scattered around various areas of the roof. Six of them are Division Agents, the other five members of the JTF. The leader of the JTF team, Kelly Lambert, stands at the edge of the roof, gazing at the sun-bathed city below. Her uniform and helmet are peppered with shrapnel holes and grazing hits from incoming bullets. Her once innocent-looking face is now covered with dirt and sweat. Some might call her expression 'The Thousand Yard Stare'. A gentle breeze ruffles the tattered and graffitied American flag nearby, but she hardly notices it.

Behind Kelly, her team members Anthony Miller and Shelby Lazka sit closely to each other on a wall of sandbags, sharing a cigarette. Behind them, the smouldering remains of an anti-aircraft battery that they personally had destroyed. Lazka has bandaging on her hand wrapped all the way up her forearm, while her companion has some tied around his shoulder, thigh and head, the result of being too close to the blast that destroyed the battery.

Derek Upton and Tyler Finnigan are seated further away, the former checking on the latter's wound from earlier in the battle. Finnigan had insisted that he felt fine, but the unusually heavy flow of blood from the injury made his medic friend worry, so his objections were overruled.

The Agents are spread in a similar manner. Alani, Thomas and Faye stand near another roof edge, admiring the view of the sunrise. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and Eisenhower Building all landmarks that stand out on the horizon.

Jay, Sarah and Dima are, standing and kneeling, respectfully, in front of the body of General Antwon Ridgeway, former leader of the True Sons. Several pieces of his armored suit litter the nearby area, as well as thousands of shell casings from the large machine gun he had been wielding. The gun, a heavily modified M60 E4, was used to its absolute limits during the fight, and now lies at the General's side, a now super heated, partially melted worthless pile of plastic and metal. Sarah's own belt-fed weapon had been badly abused, as one of the bipod legs had broken off and the compensator on the muzzle had nearly melted. Nearly all of her ammunition was depleted, as well as all but one of the grenades she had taken earlier.

Jay's ACR had a cracked scope, on top of the heavy usage, but it was nothing the weaponsmith couldn't fix. Dima's AK had a similar story, and he was down to his last magazine.

Roxwell slowly approaches his friend Kelly, who has clearly never seen the brutality of war before. He arrives at her side, and she slowly looks up at him.

Every mission the young Guardsman had tagged along on had been worse than the last. She now had first hand experience of just how bloodthirsty her enemies, and in some cases, her friends, truly were.

**"Quite a view, **isn't it?" Roxwell asks, the sound of his voice making me jump slightly.

"Best seats in the house." I reply, rebuilding my composure.

"So, what do you think of our lovely D.C.?" He asks, looking down at me.

I hesitate for a moment, thinking of a response.

The last month has been the craziest adventure I had ever been on. The odds stacked so highly against us, as well as the Militia. The fact that the people and the Agents haven't given up says more about them than any words ever could.

My friends, Jay and Sarah especially, have shown new sides of themselves that I never would've expected. They have far deeper personalities than most veterans I know, and there is clearly more to them than the average Jarhead. Faye isn't the hardass she wants us to think she is. Dima, our friendly neighborhood Russian, is the opposite of stoic off the battlefield.

Alani and Thomas, I haven't been able to get a read on, but Faye and Roxwell speak very highly of them. And speaking of the latter, 'Rocket' has quickly become one of my closest friends during our downtime at the White House. He is surprisingly gentle and kind, despite his...in the field reputation. According to Alani, he once worked closely with someone she just called 'Espinoza', and they had similar combat styles. He unfortunately met an untimely demise at the hands of a Hyena called 'Coyote', long before our arrival. Roxwell was given the chance to avenge his friend shortly afterward, fittingly hacking Coyote to pieces with his signature blade.

My thoughts return to Roxwell's question, and I decide for a simple answer.

"It's...going to need a new coat of paint, but ...it's definitely something."

My friend lets out a laugh, nodding in agreement.

"Truer words have never been spoken, Kid." He says with a smile.

**"What now, Faye?" **Jay asks. I look up to see that our field commander has joined us in looking over the remains of the General. Agent Lau stands between Jay and Dima, holding the helmet Ridgeway was wearing.

"Now...we head back." She replies simply, dropping the helmet. "I'm sure Manny will want to talk to us. Then...we figure it out from there."

"Maybe we will go home?" Dima suggests. I nod at the idea.

"I like the sound of that." I say, standing up. "The folks here can take this swamp and stick it."

"Hey! Everyone!" Faye calls. "Rally up!"

The team slowly makes their way over, forming a small circle around us. Miller leans on Lazka, using her as a crutch. While walking over, Upton hurriedly stuffs his medical items into his bag. Roxwell accompanies Kelly, staying close to the clearly unsettled guardsman.

"Everyone alright?" Faye asks. We all tiredly look ourselves and each other over for any previously unseen injuries. A few, myself included, nod after a few moments.

"That was far heavier than anyone could've expected." The boss begins, looking around at us. "The True Sons kicked our asses, but you all took it and kicked back." Her eye lands on Kelly's team. "I have to say, I'm very impressed. Well done, all of you."

Roxwell pats Kelly's shoulder encouragingly. She nods after a moment and gives him a small smile.

"I'm sure you'll hear the same praise, if not more, from Manny when we get back. Gather yourselves up. Let's head home."

"Ahh." I mutter to Jay. "Hopefully we don't have to stay _here _for two years."


	23. Till Death Do Us Part

**JTF Base of Operations**

**White House**

**The Oval Office**

**That evening…**

Nearly the entire population of the White House stands before President Andrew Ellis, who looks over the group from his place on top of his desk. He is flanked by Division Coordinator Manny Ortega. The rest of the crowd includes Alani, Thomas and Roxwell, Faye, Dima, Kelly and her team, Jay and myself, with everyone else behind us. A celebration has been planned for our work in defeating the three factions that have terrorized D.C. for the last two years.

"The hardships of this city," Ellis begins. "and of this nation, are finally coming to an end. Earlier today, the Capitol Building was captured from the True Sons, the last of the hostile Strongholds to be liberated. This...is a turning point. Where our desperate hope, becomes bold conviction. We have overcome impossible odds, and thanks to all of you, the good people of this city are starting to feel safe again. And our enemies, or what's left of them, are running scared. We've made it clear to those who stand with us, and those who would stand against us, that we will not hesitate. We will not compromise. We will never surrender. We will bear any sacrifice, and secure victory, at any cost."

* * *

I stand silently on a balcony about an hour later, watching fireworks launch and detonate in the air above the South Lawn. Drinking in the view, and my second beer of the night, my thoughts drift around, like a ship at sea, eventually settling on my closest companion.

Jay.

_"I still can't believe it took so long for all of...that...to happen. I believe even less that she felt the same way! And still does!"_

I look down at the half-empty bottle in my hands, running my thumb over the paper label.

_"The longer our relationship goes on, the less likely it seems to be a ruse. A practical joke that cruel? Not her style."_

_"I love her so much." _I think to myself with a sigh. _"I wonder if she knows just how much? Maybe when we get home, I'll show her."_

My daydreaming about jewelry stores that might be open again is interrupted by Jay herself appearing at my side. She smiles warmly and pops the cap off her bottle, looking up at the fireworks in the sky.

"Quite the night, isn't it?" She asks as a blast of red bathes the Lawn below.

I nod in agreement. "New York wasn't nearly as grateful."

Jay frowns. "I'm sure they were. Maybe it was too cold for fireworks?"

"Maybe." I say with a giggle. I turn my full attention to her. "What now?"

My partner returns the look. "Now...I guess all we can do is wait. For word from Faye, or Manny, maybe even Ellis. They'll tell us to go home, to stay here and help clean up, or won't say anything at all."

"The Militia seems more than equipped to mop up any stragglers from all the factions." I point out. "They may want help with the Outcasts, though. Or with securing the Dark Zones."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Jay says with a cringe. "That's an order I hope to never hear from anyone.

"Then let's just pretend that it won't happen and look forward to going home."

"I like the way you think." Jay replies, holding her beer out and we clink our bottles together.

As I raise mine to my lips, something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention. I squint at it for a moment, setting my bottle down and taking Jay's MK14 rifle off of her back.

"What?" My companion asks. I look through the scope to see a group of people moving to the side of the South Lawn, obviously trying to stay out of sight.

"What do you see?" Jay persists, clearly confused as to why I took her rifle.

"Who the hell is that?" Is my only response.

"Where?"

"Bunch of guys in all black, 11 o'clock low." I say, passing the weapon back. "One of them looks like he's wearing a suit."

Jay looks through her scope for a moment, trying to find my target.

"Is that...President Ellis?" She asks. "I thought he was inside. At the party."

**I look to my **partner, but she's nowhere to be seen.

"Sarah?"

Looking at the Lawn again, I see her making a beeline for where we last saw the mysterious figures.

"Sarah!" I jump over the railing and chase after her, eventually catching up near a small building that's partially covered by foliage.

"What are you doing?!" I hiss at her, catching my breath. Sarah ignores me, instead looking for a way inside. The only door is passcode locked, and pushing on it has yielded no success.

"This is where they went." My companion says simply, activating her Pulse to scan the door. ISAC quickly creates a bypass and the door opens, revealing a simple elevator door. We exchange worried glances, and she presses the 'call' button. The car arrives a few moments later and we enter, taking a short ride down, where we are greeted by a large laboratory, dozens of chemical storage containers, and several people. Most are wearing all black and carrying a variety of weapons. The only one that isn't is none other than President Andrew Ellis.

"Agents! What a pleasant surprise." He says, seeming unfazed by our sudden arrival. His company, however, are less welcoming, as all of them raise their weapons at us.


	24. Homo Homini Lupus Est

**Underground Laboratory**

**Codename: WOLF DEN**

**Half an Hour Later…**

*AGENT FIRETEAM DOWN*

…

…

*HACKING INTO CCTV NETWORK*

…

…

*ACCESS GRANTED*

A security camera in the lab swivels around erratically for a moment, then pans around the room slowly.

One word to describe the feed: Carnage.

Several bullet holes riddle the walls, accompanied by large pools of blood on the floor, one showing drag marks towards the exit.

*SCANNING BLOOD SAMPLE*

…

…

*DNA MATCH FOUND*

*AGENT: GREEN, SARAH*

*BLOOD TYPE: B NEG*

*STATUS: MISSING*

The camera focuses on the only person in the room, sitting in a pool of blood and propped against a wall.

*SHD TECH SCANNING*

…

…

*AGENT IDENTIFIED*

*AGENT: ROBERTS, JAYLENE*

*BLOOD TYPE: O POS*

*STATUS: KIA. UNCONFIRMED BY SHD*

The security camera zooms out slightly as Agent Roberts suddenly stirs, sitting up further and slowly looking around. She reaches forward and fumbles for the weapon she was carrying, a .44 magnum revolver, dragging it closer by the muzzle. Capturing the loose weapon, she picks it up, popping open the cylinder to count the remaining ammunition.

*SHD TECH SCANNING*

…

…

*WEAPON IDENTIFIED*

*MODEL: M629 CLASSIC*

*MANUFACTURER: SMITH & WESSON*

*AMMUNITION TYPE: .44 MAGNUM*

*SERIAL NUMBER: 802571*

*OWNER: ROBERTS, JAYLENE. MEMBER OF METROPOLITAN ROD & GUN CLUB, 162 PACIFIC ST. BROOKLYN, NY*

*WEAPON STATUS: RECENTLY FIRED, 4/6 ROUNDS REMAINING*

The camera feed suddenly begins to rewind, too fast to make out anything, then stops and resumes, just after the Agents enter the room.

*INTEGRATING AUDIO FEED*

…

*SUCCESS*

_"Mr. President?" _Agent Green asks. _"What are you doing here? What is this place?"_

_"This 'place' is none of your concern. As for what I'm doing here: My job. As President."_

_"Then who are these people?" _This time, Agent Roberts pipes up, the both of them looking around at the black-uniformed men and women standing around them, weapons drawn.

_"Good question, Agent Roberts. And I suppose, since you saved my life, and I am your employer, I owe you an answer. This…" _Ellis extends a hand and pats the shoulder of the man standing next to him. _"Is Bardon Schaeffer. He is the field commander of Black Tusk, members of which you see before you. Mr. Schaeffer will be taking Mr. Ortega's place, and his men will be taking yours. As your employer, The Strategic Homeland Division and it's Agents are hereby terminated as government employees, effective immediately."_

_"Why? And why by them?"_

_"Why? Because BTSU is not subject to personal agendas. It's members do not 'Go Rogue'. They do not abandon or fail their missions. Whereas the Division, the JTF and their allies have been the orchestrators of failure after catastrophic failure. Simply look at Manhattan, Pittsburgh, Miami, Los Angeles and dozens of other cities including our own and you'll see my reasoning on full display. As such, any and all Division Agents and JTF personnel are hereby standing in the way of this nation's recovery, and must be eliminated."_

Agent Green draws her sidearm and aims it directly at Ellis.

_"But we succeeded!" _She argues. _"Why is this happening? Why are you here in this lab? What's here that's so important?"_

President Ellis doesn't respond, simply looking back at one of the chemical storage containers, which has a very familiar label on it.

_"That's...that's the cure, isn't it?!" _Agent Roberts exclaims. _"The one we created!"_

_"Yes. And these fine men will ensure that there is plenty to go around...to those who deserve it. Those who won't...get in the way."_

_"This is unbelievable…" _Says Agent Green, quickly losing her composure and lowering her gun.

_"Believe it, Agents. Because it's happening. And since you now know all of this, our obstacle removal must start with the two of you. It's a shame really. You had so much potential."_

Several gunshots ring out, and Agent Green falls to the floor.

_"SARAH!" _Agent Roberts wails.

_"You Division Agents. Always so predictable."_

Agent Roberts draws her gun.

_"You traitorous piece of shi-!"_

More gunshots cut her off, and Agent Roberts staggers back to a nearby wall, slowly sliding down to the floor. Meanwhile, Agent Green slowly and painfully picks up her weapon and tries to aim it at the first Black Tusk soldier she sees, but he casually kicks the gun away and kneels down to search her for any hidden weapons she may have.

_"Get away from her!"_ Agent Roberts screams at the man. He ignores her. _"Touch her and you die!" _Another soldier steps up to the badly wounded Agent and aims his rifle at her head.

_"Do it!" _Agent Roberts dares him. _"Do your job like the puppet you are!"_

_"Don't" _President Ellis orders. _"Agent Roberts is all talk. Let her talk. She's not worth the bullet."_

The soldier looks at Ellis for a moment, then shrugs, looking back at the Agent at his feet.

_"We'll take this one with us. She might still be useful."_

_"Stay away from my partner! Lay a finger on her, and you all die! You hear me?!"_

Despite the demands, the soldiers bandage Agent Green's more serious wounds and begin dragging her to the exit.

_"...Jay…?" _She calls weakly.

_"Sarah! Let her go, you animals! Sar-"_

Agent Roberts' pleas are cut short by a swift boot kick to the side of her head. Her helpless partner is dragged to the elevator out of the frame.

The feed stays on Agent Roberts for a long moment. Other than her shallow breaths and slowly growing pool of blood, she sits motionless.

Fast-forward to the present, and Agent Roberts is attempting to stand, with limited success. She's up on all fours, slowly crawling around for a moment.

_"Sarah…?" _She says weakly. _"Sarah?"_

The only reply is silence.

Agent Roberts struggles to stand again, this time successfully, and staggers towards the exit, nursing a wound to her thigh. The elevator car makes it's mechanical whirring sound as it descends through the shaft.

_"They took you...but I'll find you, Sarah."_ The wounded Agent says to the empty room. _"I'll find you, if it's the last thing I do."_


	25. New Parts, New Goals

**Black Tusk D.C. Operations H.Q.**

**Location: REDACTED**

**Two Days Later…**

_"Maybe they'll tell us to go home-ome-ome…."_

_"...can't believe it's finally happening-ing-ing…"_

_"...are you doing here-here-her- None of your concern-ern-ern…"_

_"...love her so much-uch-uch..."_

_"SARAAAAAHHHHH!"_

I awaken with a start, eyes darting around a pristine white room that I don't recognise. Trying to get my breathing under control, I glance down to see a hospital bed beneath me. The rapid beeping of a heart monitor slowly begins to slow down as I continue to look around. Trying to get up, I'm stopped by something metal tugging on my wrist. A pair of handcuffs secure my right arm to the bed, immobilizing it for the pair of needles in the crook, one leading to an IV bag, the other likely once led to a nearby transfusion machine, but has been disconnected. I reach over with the left, but as it passes my eyes, I notice something.

My left arm somehow looks and feels different. My tattoos are in their normal places, but the colors and details are sharper than I remember. The color of the arm itself seems a bit off as well, as well as small spaces in between the joints of my knuckles. Out of curiosity, I ball my hand into a fist, which closes normally, but the feeling of my nails touching the palm feels almost muted. Dull. As if my gloves were still on. I reach to the right again cautiously, touching it with my other hand. To my shock and confusion, my left hand and arm have no skin. In place of it is a material I can't quite place. Metal? Plastic? Maybe ceramic? Then it hits me.

_"This is a prosthetic."_

A feeling of terror follows afterwards.

_"Where the fuck is my arm?!"_

My mind attempts to process where I am and how I got here.

_"I remember seeing Ellis and those other people in the lab, then getting shot. Repeatedly. Jay was shouting at the people wearing all black. I nearly blacked out a few times, then I must have completely. Where am I? This isn't the White House...Those men...their group...what the hell is the name?!"_

I tug on the handcuffs again, this time inadvertently getting the attention of someone outside; the man standing guard at my door. He looks in the window for a moment, then activates his radio.

"Alert Gold Eagle. Subject is awake."

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

*Click*

*PLAYBACK STOPPED*

I look down, then around at the group that has gathered around the monitor. Kelly appears devastated at the grim discovery, her eyes wide and hands covering her mouth. Manny shoots a sympathetic glance towards the clinic where Jay and others from the recent Black Tusk attacks are recovering. Dima and Thomas are glued to a different monitor, absorbing every detail ISAC could find on the organization. Alani tries to comfort Kelly by rubbing her shoulder. Roxwell appears genuinely furious at the thought of this monstrous betrayal. He angrily paces the room, mumbling incoherently to himself and repeatedly looking at the coordinator office where President Ellis had been staying.

"You were right, Faye." Alani says, breaking the silence. "About Ellis. It doesn't feel like much of a victory though, does it?"

I look back at the monitor, frozen at the moment Sarah fell to the floor. Her hat had fallen off, exposing a gut-wrenching mix of confusion, surprise, pain and terror on her face. The type of expression that's difficult to describe and isn't often seen, one that I had only seen once on Sarah. Back in New York, while waiting for word on Jay, and that was barely a fraction of what all of us were seeing.

"I should've told them." I say glumly, shaking my head. "I could have warned them about him, and to be careful around him...fuck!" I slam two balled up fists on the table, infuriated at my own inaction. "Fuck, fuck, Sarah…"

"Faye, my dear." A familiar Russian voice nearby says. I look up to see that Dima has taken Alani's place and she has retreated to a safer distance. "All this anger, it will solve nothing."

"I could've been a descent fucking human being around her for longer that five damn minutes on this trip." I shout at and to my companion, who can only look on sympathetically.

"Finally work that stick out of yer ass, Faye?" Thomas jeers from the other side of the room. "Betteh late than neveh."

Angered, this time by the painful truth of his words, I pick up the first object I see, a sharpie marker, and throw it at him. The marker bounces harmlessly off of his backpack, only adding insult to injury.

"On the contrary, Dima." Roxwell growls from somewhere behind me. "I think anger _will _solve something. Like this Black Tusk dilemma. Ellis at the head of it all?" He steps towards Dima and I. "His goon squad shot up Sarah and Jay. Jay made it, sure. But Sarah? She's not here. They might have killed her. _Nobody _shoots a fellow Agent on my watch and gets away with it."

"I don't think Sarah is dead." Manny pipes up. "Ellis said, 'She may be useful.' As long as she plays along, they might keep her alive long enough for us to find her."

"And we all know how good she is at that." Alani mutters. Manny ignores the comment, looking to one of the JTF people in the room. "Get me the latest recon reports on Black Tusk movements." He orders. The man hurries off to another room, returning a few moments later with a clipboard.

"BTSU has taken over the Capitol Building, Potomac Event Center and Roosevelt Island, as well as several of the Control Points around the city." The JTF officer reads.

"Where are they coming from?" Manny asks.

"The Tidal Basin."

Roxwell claps his hands. "Fuckin' beautiful." He says. "There we go. We bust in, grab Sarah, kill Ellis and Schaeffer, walk out."

"If only it were that simple." Manny says, looking at the clipboard. "If I'm reading this right, it makes the Capitol Building look like an elementary school playground."

"Saving an Agent and killing those traitor motherfuckers is worth the risk." The irate Agent argues.

"And what if Sarah isn't there?" Alani asks. "Or she gets moved? Or Ellis escapes? It'll have been for nothing."

Roxwell slightly deflates at that idea.

"So what _are _our options?" Kelly speaks finally, still in her same stance.

I look back at the distraught guardsman. Her friendship with Jay and Sarah is special compared to other typical ones. They saved her life, and she saved theirs. She must feel so helpless, likely more than the rest of us do. She suddenly returns my stare, looking to me for an answer as everyone has always done.

"Well." I begin. "I would say to go with the same approach as last time; small, surgical strikes, taking back territory one block at a time, but-"

"Sarah doesn't have time for that." Everyone jumps in surprise at the sound of Jay's voice stepping over mine. She stumbles into the room, adorned with bandages and leaning on her crutch heavily. A clinic nurse follows her with an expression of confusion and frustration, but the injured Agent ignores him.

"Hit the Strongholds hard and fast." Jay says, limping towards a map of the city. "Go with the Event Center or the Island. I'd save the best for last." She points to the Tidal Basin.

"I'm coming with you when you go there." The weary Agent declares. "Ellis did this to me, and now he's got Sarah. _MY _Sarah. When we find him...I want his head."

* * *

**My eyes lock **on the door as it opens, revealing a doctor and a pair of soldiers flanking none other than President Ellis. He places his hands behind his back, quietly dismissing one of the soldiers, who closes the door behind him. The doctor moves to the IV stand and fiddles with the small hose, disconnecting the empty bag and replacing it with a new one. I, however, ignore her, watching Ellis. His other bodyguard steps back and stays next to the door while the President takes a few paces forward, stopping near the foot of the bed.

"Good." He finally says with a nod. "You're alive. And awake. I was starting to have doubts…"

"Shut up." I hiss at him, the doctor flinching slightly, then continuing with her work. "Where am I?" Is the first of many things on my list of questions.

"Does it really matter in the grand scheme?"

I pause for a moment, my angry, pain-killer-hazed mind trying to turn thoughts into words.

"Well, since I'm alive." I begin. "I'd guess you want me for something. If you want my cooperation, I suggest you answer."

Ellis simply smiles.

"Smart girl." He says. "Alright. I'll bite. You are in the Black Tusk's Base of Operations, the Tidal Basin. You and your partner were gunned down by my men in a highly classified, top secret laboratory. You survived and were brought here."

"What happened to Jay?" I demand next.

The President doesn't reply, turning away and looking at a clipboard on a nearby table.

"Where is she?"

Still no response. I get the sense that Ellis is trying to wind me up, but I persist anyway.

"WHERE?!"

"Likely still in the lab." He says finally. "Dead or dying, unless she escaped. If that's the case, she was likely killed by more Black Tusk operatives."

My first reaction: Anger. How casually he speaks. About Jay, no less. He likely knows how close we are. Following shortly after is fear. What if he speaks true? What if Jay, the love of my life, is dead? For real, this time. My brain demands to know the truth, so it comes up with a bargain.

"Confirm that she's alive, and you'll get my help."

"Well, that would be a shame, because if she is alive, my first order to you would be to kill her."

"And what makes you think I would?"

"Because if you refuse, number one: It would be a great disappointment. And number two: I would simply kill you and order someone else to do it."

"In that case, why keep me alive at all? Information?"

The doctor politely takes the clipboard Ellis is holding and begins writing notes on it.

"No. I've been to the White House already, remember? I know everything there is to know about your personnel statuses and future operations."

Ellis comes closer to me, pulling up a stool and sitting at my side. He produces a small key ring from his pocket and unlocks my cuffs.

"While you're here, care to explain this?" I ask, holding up my fake arm for him to see.

"I'm sure you remember our little...altercation last night?" Ellis asks.

"That's one way to put it." I mutter.

"Well, you were shot several times, and more than a few rounds found a home in your arm. It was a mess. The bones were in pieces, muscles shredded. It was our decision to replace it, rather than attempt to repair. How does it feel?"

"Weird." I say after a moment, flexing the fingers.

"You'll get used to it. Besides, that type of injury? The Division likely would've kicked you to the curb, like they did with Agent Sawyer."

"Odessa left willingly." I reply. "By her own choice."

"But the Division made no attempt to keep her. That is precisely the point. But back to your previous question, you're here because you know about those JTF operations, too. And you will be countering them at every opportunity. You have potential, Ms. Green. And I have given you a second chance to find it.". He gestures to my new arm, which I look down at with a troubled feeling.

I can't find the words to respond, only looking up into his eyes. Searching.

After a moment, he waves the door guard over. The man arrives at his side and Ellis takes the soldier's sidearm out of its holster, clicking off the safety and aiming it at my head.

"I could just kill you now, if you'd prefer."

Something about the situation keeps me from even flinching at the notion of being killed at this very moment. Perhaps, some part of me knows he won't do it.

After a long pause, Ellis clicks the safety on again and twirls the pistol in his hand, offering the handle to me.

"Or...we can work together." He offers. "You can stay alive a little longer, and personally find out the fate of your friends."

I look down at the gun, then back up at him. In my head, I weigh my options.

Option one: Take the gun. Shoot Ellis, then immediately be killed by his guards.

Option two: Refuse entirely, and likely be killed.

Option three: Take the gun. Go Rogue, disavowing the Division and becoming a target for them, the JTF, and the Militia. All the while prolonging my life hopefully long enough to find out if my companion is even alive.

At first, the third option seems the best, but further thought opens yet another can of worms. I could be shot on sight by them, likely by Roxwell. They may refuse to accept my side of the story. Faye and Alani immediately come to mind at that. My cover could be blown, definitely by Kelly, and I, as well as all of them, would be killed by any Black Tusk people with me. Or, everything goes to plan, only I find out that Jay has been dead the whole time, and my efforts have been for nothing.

_"I have to know, whatever the circumstances."_

With a slow, shaky hand, I reluctantly take hold of the pistol. Ellis lets go of it with a smile.

"Welcome to the Black Tusk, Agent Green."

My Smart Watch suddenly flashes to red, causing me to look at it with a clear expression of worry."

*WARNING* ISAC says on queue. *YOUR ACTIONS HAVE DISAVOWED THE DIVISION. YOU ARE NOW MARKED AS 'ROGUE'*

_"Here goes nothing, Jay." _I think to myself.

* * *

**A/N: So...that happened. I _did _ask quite a serious question in this fic's description.**

**The 'prosthetic arm for Sarah' idea is one that I've been throwing around for a while, and I finally found a place for it. Black Tusk has some quite insane technology and futuristic stuff at their disposal, so I figure prosthetic limbs aren't too far fetched.**

**I describe the arm as looking like Mitchell's from CoD Advanced Warfare. Just picture that, but with tattoos all over it. Awesome!**

**The plot thickens...**

**If you read this far, thank you! I'm really looking forward to writing the next few chapters, especially when Sarah's former teammates find out what's happened to her.**

**See you next time, Agents!**


	26. Sarah's Sorrow

**BTSU Base of Operations**

**D.C. Tidal Basin**

**Two Weeks Later…**

"Ugh. Do I really have to wear this?" I ask Dorothy Kayhill, a Black Tusk lieutenant, and one of the few acquaintances who didn't share mutual mistrust with me. The two of us stand before a mirror, which shows my reflection boasting a Black Tusk 'Civilian' uniform. It consists of a gray zip-up hoodie, black shemagh, blue jeans and black boots. I've been allowed to include my hat and shades, but there was a disagreement on my Smart Watch, which still glows red. I won the argument, stating that, 'Even if I'm helping a sworn enemy, I'm still an Agent.'.

"It's so bland and angsty." I continue, twisting to see how my backside looks. "It makes me look like a Rioter, from back in New York."

'Dot', as she's insisted to be called, stands in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a casual smirk on her face. Her helmet and chest rig are off, dirty blonde hair in a tight bun.

"Yes, you do." She insists. "It's so people don't immediately recognize you."

"Won't my weapon choices be a dead giveaway?" I ask, looking at her in the mirror.

"Depends on what you carry."

"M249 SAW, M870 shotty and M1911?"

Her face twists into a slight grimace. "In that case, probably. You're supposed to look like an Average Joe civilian who prefers living on the outside, pulling strings and clapping fools from the shadows."

"So what does that entail?"

Dot shrugs. "Small, concealable stuff, like an Uzi, or P90 as the primary. Secondary would have to be something a scavver might have…"

"My crossbow?"

"Yeah, that'll work. Sidearm can be whatever you want."

"Works for me." I say casually, looking myself over once again. "I can get my regular gear back once I get back to the White House."

Out of view, Dot looks down at her boots. "Yeah...back to the White House...sure thing."

I look up at her. "So, are you just here for the show, or did you come bearing gifts as well?" I nod to the small tablet device in my friend's hand. She enters the room, holding out the tablet.

"Civilian Militia target." Dot begins. I cringe internally at the thought of my first mission. "There's a JTF officer with them, and they've been harassing our patrols in the area. Typical guerilla style hit and run crap, but each time they get a little better. Do a little more damage, hurt and kill a few more men. They've holed up at the Washington Monument. Our forces are too spread out, so we can't spare anyone."

"Except me, I take it?"

"Consider this your official test. Complete it, and it'll earn you a lot of points with the Top Brass."

I look Dot over for a moment. "What about you?"

"Well, I understand what you're going through. Doing something you've sworn against just to help someone you love...I get it."

"That sounds like a story." I gently pry. "Feel like sharing?"

"Maybe. One day."

I nod in understanding, looking down the hall in the direction of the Armory.

"So you've got your orders, Agent." Dot takes the tablet away, slowly stepping towards the door. "Let's see what you've got."

Stomach in knots, I look up into the mirror again, tugging my sleeve down to cover my Watch.

_"This is going to take all the strength I have, isn't it?"_ I ask myself. _"These people want _me_...to kill _civilians_?"_

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**Militia Settlement: THEATER**

**"I've called in **every favor I could, Dima." Odessa says in a frustrated tone, setting down her glass of whiskey. "Every scouting party I can spare has been combing the city for the last two weeks, all the while avoiding the remnant factions and these new Black Tusk people, just to find one Agent. I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can do."

"What about your Field Commander connections with SHD?" I persist, grasping at straws to find even a glimmer of hope of finding Sarah.

"Gone. After I left. But even while I was fully active, my access was rather limited. At this point, I'm just Manny with fancier shoes." The veteran Agent looks down for a moment. "Well, _a _fancy shoe, anyway." She corrects herself.

"She's out there somewher-"

"We've been over this how many times now?" Odessa cuts in. "I get it! Sarah's gone, and y'all want her back. I know how many favors you personally did for me, and this settlement, and I could repay you nearly any other way. But finding your friend? If Black Tusk has her, you're looking for a needle in a haystack the size of the whole damn city."

"We think we've narrowed down Sarah's location." Faye pipes up behind me, closing Odessa's office door behind her. "We've cleared Roosevelt Island, and she's either in the Potomac Event Center, or the Tidal Basin...or somewhere in that vicinity."

Odessa picks up her glass again and takes a long sip, letting out a sharp breath as the burn of alcohol goes down.

"That's halfway across the city. Isn't this something you should be asking Henry?"

"The Campus is under nearly constant attack from Black Tusk _and _stragglers from the Outcasts." My companion replies. "We can't get close enough to ask, and they likely can't spare the manpower."

"And neither can I. Not from here."

"From where, then?" I demand, not taking 'No.' for an answer. Odessa looks down for a long moment.

"I know some people at one of the Control Points in that direction." She says finally. "I'll send word that you're coming."

**"You're looking **better." Roxwell comments as we wander the rooftop of the Theater. I can't help but smile at the compliment, despite the emptiness inside that Sarah had once filled. Working without her has been hard, but doable with all the support from Roxwell, Kelly and the others.

"I feel better." I say as we pass Odessa Sawyer's office again. It's lap four, and there's no sign of the meeting ending anytime soon. "It feels good to be out here doing something for a change." I glance up at the sky, which slowly darken as a thunderstorm crawls closer. Inwardly, I hope we finish our mission before it arrives, but the chances of that dwindle with each passing minute. I pause for a moment, working my injured leg. My limp is gone, but soreness and sporadic shooting pains are still somewhat common. Roxwell stops a few paces later and watches.

_"I suppose he's _my _protector as well Kelly's now."_

"It seems not all of you agrees." He says with a chuckle. "You sure you're up for this, Jay? I'd hate to see anything happen, especially if any of those wounds opens up again."

"I have to." I say, brushing off his concerns and giving my leg one last shake before catching up to him. "For her. Sarah is really the only thing keeping me going right now."

"The bond of love is powerful." Roxwell comments. "One that can't be broken, even by spending a long time apart."

I nod at his point as I try to fight back the urge to cry again.

_"I hope Sarah knows just how much I love her. I hope she knows I'm coming for her. That _we _are coming for her."_

"Jay! Roxwell!" Faye's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. The two of us turn to see her and Dima leaving Odessa's office. "Find Kelly and meet us at street level. We've got help."

"Where are they?" Roxwell asks.

"The Washington Monument."

* * *

**West Potomac Park**

**One Hour Later…**

**Rain begins to **soak into my hoodie as I quietly position myself to attack the once friendly Control Point. Every moral fiber in my body demands that I stop this immediately and simply turn myself in, but with Black Tusk watching me so closely, I'd be signing my own death warrant. I try to distract myself from my thoughts by looking over my new arm again, flexing the fingers and wrist. The attempt is largely unsuccessful.

A flash of lightning reveals several Militia members roaming the area around the Monument. Some patrol around the Jersey barriers, a few are on the catwalks above, but most are inside the Monument itself, either resting or seeking cover from the weather.

Despite what some might call a 'target rich environment', ISAC can't find my main target, the leader of the Militia team. A JTF second lieutenant by the name of O'Connor. I stick to the shadows offered by the high grasses and shrubbery, flanking around to the northern side of the Control Point.

The rain begins to pick up following a loud thunderclap. Using the tail end of the sound for cover, I run across an open area to more grassland. Pausing, I take a moment to ensure I wasn't seen, poking my head up out of the grass and looking through the scope of my crossbow.

One lone Militia fighter stands at the top level of the catwalks, looking down on everyone else as well as what little he can see through the rain.

_"As soon as I make a sound, he'll be all over me."_

I quietly load an arrow, taking advantage of the raindrops rattling off a nearby car hood. Taking aim again, I find my target, still fighting with myself about having to kill these people in order to save my own life. The 'Rogue' part of me eventually prevails. Squeezing the trigger, the arrow silently flies through the air. Another lightning bolt bathes the man in light as my arrow skewers him in the throat. Stunned, he wordlessly claws at the thin fiberglass shaft for a moment, dropping to his knees, then onto his back, lifeless.

_"I've just killed a civilian."_ I desperately fight the urge to throw up, sucking in a deep breath and busying myself by loading another arrow.

_"The first of many, I'm sure."_ My mind says grimly.

Nobody inside the camp seems to have noticed the watchman fall, so I look for another target, finding one on the catwalks a few levels below. She seems to have heard a sound, but can't find the source.

_"Just shrug it off!" _I want to yell at her. _"Don't go towards the stairs!"_

Her friends stay behind and watch as the teenage Militia fighter moves towards the stairs to investigate the sound.

_"...fuck."_

The Militia girl climbs to the next level, going in the opposite direction of the source.

_"She'll find him eventually..."_

_"No Sarah! Don't!" _Says a voice in my head that sounds very familiar. _Don't do these awful things just for me!"_

I silently watch the teen girl wander the catwalk, squinting through the rain to find where the sound came from.

_"I have to….I'm sorry, kid."_

*KTHIK!*

An arrow flies, hitting the girl in the center of her back. She reaches back in confusion, before collapsing.

**Five Minutes Later**

**Washington Monument**

**Northeast side…**

**"Huh. Never seen** this place up close." Kelly remarks as we arrive. She looks up at the towering Monument, quickly looking down again as rainwater fills her eyes.

"It's much more impressive when there isn't a war going on around it." Roxwell says over his shoulder, waving to the Militia guard as we approach.

"You must be the folks Odessa mentioned." The young man says. "The El Tee is up there, in the office." He gestures to the metal building that has popped up around the base of the Monument. Faye nods and turns to us.

"Roxwell, Dima, you're with me. Jay, Kelly, help bolster the perimeter a bit. Who knows? Maybe one of these guys has seen signs of Sarah."

In any other situation, that probably would've sounded like an insult, or a twisted joke. But in this case, Kelly and I split up. She goes left, while I go right. Strangely, after nearly a minute of walking, I haven't found any Militia members.

That is, until I find one with an arrow in the side of his head.

In shock, but trying not to panic, I calmly key my radio.

"Faye...we have a problem. I just found a member of the Militia...dead."

_"Strange. I was about to tell you the same thing." _Faye replies with a worried tone. _"Our JTF contact is wasted. Arrow. Yours?"_

"Same. You thinking The Underground?"

_"Maybe. Sweep the perimeter. Dima just found two more. The arrows seem to be coming from the same direction. Search the northwest corner."_

With a nod, I ready my weapon and approach a grassy area in the direction Faye indicated. Behind me, the Militia scrambles at the news of the attack. Almost immediately after entering the area, I find a likely suspect. Hooded sweatshirt, crossbow, small backpack. Not moving, just watching the activity at the Control Point, likely looking for another target. He seems unaware of me, so I decide on the surprise approach, only to be taken by surprise myself as the figure quickly spins around, knife ready. He quickly and silently tackles me to the ground, weapon knocked away, one foot planted on my wrist, knife to my throat. He seems ready for the kill, but suddenly stops.

"Faye! Hel-mmph!" My attacker clamps a hand tightly over my mouth, lifting the knife hand and putting a finger to his lips, trying to quiet me. In confusion, I nod in obligation. The figure slowly sits up and pulls his face covering down. In what little light there is, I make out the features of a woman, not a man.

A very familiar woman.

"...Sarah?" I whisper.

"...Jay?" The woman asks.

I sit up, her still on top of me. I cautiously remove the hood of her sweatshirt, and reveal the face of the woman I love. The woman I thought I might never see again.

The face of Sarah.

We pull each other into a soggy, squishy hug, still being pelted by the rain. Wordlessly, we hold each other tightly for what feels like an hour. I pull away in disbelief, looking her over again. She seems to do the same, and we search each other's faces for clues. In the hopes of receiving further confirmation, I pull her in for a quick kiss.

That was all I needed.

Sarah pulls me back for a deeper, longer kiss. One full to the brim with emotions. Love, relief, passion, but also sadness and desperation.

"I can't believe it!" I nearly shout as we separate. "You're alive, baby! I saw the camera feed from the shootout!"

"I thought you were gone too!" My companion says. "I...I don't know what to say. I-"

**"Wait a minute."** Jay says, looking around. At my 'uniform'. My crossbow. The quiver of arrows over my shoulder. The Militia bodies behind me.

My red SmartWatch.

"You...you're Rogue?" She asks in a fearful voice.

"It was only to find you!" I quickly insist. "Black Tusk took me. Said they'd kill me if I didn't play along-"

"You killed these Militia members?!" Jay quickly pushes me off of her, scrambling to her feet. "How could you?"

"It was only to find out what happened to you! How could I live with myself if I had gotten you killed? How could I find you if I was killed?"

"I don't fucking believe this." Jay continues, beginning to step back away from me.

"No, no! Jay! Wait!" I quickly pop up and grab her arm. "Please let me explain!"

"You better talk fast, Sarah." She pulls out her .44 and aims it directly at me.

"After the shootout, I was taken to the Tidal Basin, the Black Tusk H.Q.? Ellis forced me at gunpoint to join his cause. He said if I did, I had a chance of seeing you again, but if I didn't, he'd kill me and order an all-out assault on the White House. This outfit, these weapons, this senseless killing? You know me, Jay!"

A flash of lightning across the sky reveals the pained expression on my companion's face.

**I catch a glimpse **of Sarah's expression in the light. A mix of fear, guilt, sorrow, and desperate hope. She's right. I do know her. There's not a snowball's chance in Hell that she did all of this willingly. After a long moment, my hand drops, and my head hands with it.

_"She did all of this...just to find me?"_

I look up again and stow my sidearm.

"I do know you." I say finally.

Sarah sighs with relief, but just before I hug her again, my radio interrupts.

_"What's the word, Jay?" _Faye asks. _"Find anything?"_

Sarah shakes her head at me. "I'm not here." She whispers. In a brief moment, I come up with a white lie.

"Whoever this was is probably gone." I reply. "I haven't seen anyone."

_"Copy that. Kel? How about you?"_

I turn my radio down, looking up as Sarah quickly rummages through her small backpack.

"Here." She says, passing a laptop and a thick folder to me. "I stole a bunch of stuff from the BT. Think you guys can use it?"

I push the items back. "Just come with us!"

"Trust me, I want nothing more. But I can't. I have to play along for as long as I can, find the right time to cut loose." She gives the laptop and folder to me again, the latter quickly becoming soaked from the rain. "Take these, give them to Manny. Don't tell _anyone _that I was here."

I push the intel items into my bag, quickly strapping it on again and bringing Sarah in for another hug.

"I love you, Jay." She says quietly, before pulling away, taking her weapons and vanishing into the night.

"I love you too."

_"Everyone regroup inside the Monument."_ Faye orders. _"We'll wait for a break in the weather, then head back to base. This mission is bust now."_


	27. Reflections

**BTSU Base of Operations**

**Tidal Basin**

**One Hour Later…**

**"Nice work, Agent." **A voice says, echoing in the large locker room. I stand in front of the locker designated for me, looking into its tiny mirror as I wring out my ponytail. I turn around to see the field commander Bardon Schaeffer entering the room. "Taking out that JTF guy at the Washington Monument, and a few of his lackeys, to boot." Schaeffer stops next to me, leaning against the wall of lockers and crossing his arms, a move I saw rather frequently in high school. The memory makes me laugh at him inside, but outwardly I return to what I had been doing. "I didn't think you had it in you. Quite impressive."

"I didn't know, either." I say casually, peeling off my soaked hoodie and hanging it up, revealing the simple black crew neck underneath. "Mostly because in the Marines, and the Division, we don't target civilians."

"Yeah, well, you're not with them anymore, despite what your fancy watch and 'tough guy' tats might say." The taller man jabs. "I'm your boss, now. Whether you like it or not. We here in Black Tusk do things differently."

"Define 'differently' for me." Still not looking at him, I pull out the small duffel bag given to me by Dot, whom I sort of wished was here, and look through my 'BTSU issue' clothing to decide what to change into.

"Well, for starters, we don't back down from or fail missions and we don't have personal agendas...as President Ellis laid out for you not to long ago."

I pause for a moment, looking up at him as I take a pair of black cargo pants out of the bag.

"Well then you and I should get along swimmingly." I say, dropping the pants and taking off my equally wet t-shirt. An ordinary person wouldn't strip down to their undies in front of someone they don't know, especially someone of the opposite sex. But military experience, coupled with a healthy dose of 'don't really give a fuck' makes me anything but ordinary. "Except for the civilian killing stuff. That we have to work on."

"Listen here, sweetheart." Schaeffer slams my locker closed right as I'm about to reach into it. "If it were up to me, youd've bled to death in that lab, along with your little lady friend. You should be grateful you're still drawing breath, and that you got this fancy-shmancy piece of plastic." He hits my prosthetic with the back of his hand. Not hard enough to do any damage, but enough to be noticeable. "So if I were you, I'd show the folks around here a little respect, which goes double for me."

I meet his gaze, giving off an unintimidated expression.

"Respect is earned, Mr. Schaeffer." I reply simply. "Not given."

"Oh really?" He angrily takes out his pistol and presses the barrel against my forehead. "How about this, Agent? Does this 'earn your respect'?!"

I cross my eyes to look up at the gun, then back down at him.

"Well, considering that if you pulled that trigger, you likely wouldn't be far behind, not really. I don't have alot of respect for people that stupid."

Schaeffer appears unfazed by my words, his fingers wrapped tightly around his gun, giving him white knuckles.

"So what'll it be, _Commander_? Shoot me out of spite, or keep your own life?" I ask, before humming the 'Jeopardy' tune. It takes a few seconds before he lowers the gun, which gives me a cocky grin until he twirls the pistol in his hand and cracks me in the temple with the grip. My head hits the lockers, hard, and I fall into a sitting position on the floor, tightly cradling the sides of my head.

"You better square yourself away, Green." Schaeffer growls, stowing his pistol. "Or else things won't end well for you." He turns and walks towards the exit as I lift my throbbing head. "Your debrief is at 1000 tomorrow. Clean yourself up."

"Hey Schaeffer!" I call out, stopping him as he opens the door.

"Robin Williams was wrong," I say with a smirk. "_You _are in more dire need of a blowjob than any man in history.

The man huffs at me angrily, slamming the locker room door on his way out. I look down at the floor below me, where a puddle of water has formed from my earlier drying attempts.

"That went better than expected." I mutter, my smirk turning into a laugh as I stare at my own reflection.

* * *

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Coordinator Office**

**The next morning…**

**"Holy shit, Jay." **Manny says in disbelief, looking over the stack of papers Sarah gave me. "This is a gold mine!" After a moment of pause, he looks up at me. "Where did you get this?"

"A small Black Tusk outpost we hit on the way to the Washington Monument" I say with a shrug, fighting with myself to cover my urge to yell 'Sarah is alive! She gave me all of it!'. "Does it matter?"

"For the moment? Definitely not. Hey look." He holds up a piece of paper. "Special bulletin to all Black Tusk Agents." Manny reads. "Effective immediately: A truce has been brokered with a few field Agents of the Strategic Homeland Division. Double check your targets when encountering anyone from SHD. Challenge phrase: Icepick. Countersign: Phoenix. Record the Agent's callsign and immediately terminate if theirs isn't recognized." He looks at me hopefully. "Signed: Bardon Schaeffer. Acting Field Commander, BTSU.' Hear that, Jay? Sarah could be alive! In enemy hands, but alive."

'I know! I met with her!' I want to cry out.

"That's fantastic!" I'm cut off by Alani as she enters the room. "They do have her. That right there is proof of it." The ecstatic Agent looks to Manny. "Does that give any specifics on locations?"

"Yes." The coordinator replies, switching to the laptop. "Tidal Basin is their Command Center. Potomac Event Center has been repurposed to a weapons depot, and Roosevelt Island is...or was...a Dollar Flu and DC62 research facility."

"So what about these Rogue Agents?" Alani asks. "Are there more?"

"There must be, if this bulletin is anything to go on."

"Then it's off to the races. What do you think, Jay? Straight for the Tidal Basin?"

I pause for a moment, considering the question. Every part of me wants to say 'Yes!' so I can be reunited with Sarah, but right now, all of this is a ruse. I lied to Manny, and Alani. I still am. They know nothing apart from the possibility of Sarah being alive. I know the whole story, but swore not to tell.

Pinky promises are sacred, after all.

"No!" I blurt out, taking Alani and Manny off guard. "I mean...no. If they have that weapons depot, they'll have a well supplied army waiting for us. We should take out the Event Center first."

Manny nods. "Good thinking. We might find more intel, as well."

"When should we head out?" Alani asks.

The coordinator shrugs. "Why wait? Move on the Event Center as soon as possible."

* * *

**Thirty minutes later…**

**Tidal Basin**

**Debriefing room**

**Opening the office**-like door, I find several people, some I recognise, some I don't. The first one I notice is President Ellis, standing in front of a map of D.C.

"Ah, Agent Green." He says warmly. "Welcome."

The other people look up to me as the door closes. The next is Dot, close to the opposite end of the table. She nods to me, then turns back to her work. Last, but not least, is Commander Schaeffer, with whom I'd had a lovely conversation with last night. He smiles, pulling out the empty chair next to him and offering it to me. I approach it, only to push the chair back in and walk to the other side of the table opposite him. I take a seat, dropping the notebook containing my Washington Monument report on the table and smirking at the scowl on Schaeffer's face.

"Captain." Ellis says, gesturing to a man at the end of the table whom I don't recognise. "You were saying?"

The man clears his throat and looks down at his laptop.

"My scouts report that the Control Points surrounding the 'Theater', 'Campus', and the White House are still firmly in Militia hands. However, spirratic fighting between them and the 'Outcasts', 'Hyenas', and 'True Sons' still occurs. The 'True Sons' have recaptured the East Mall and the Southwest, including the 'Castle' settlement…"

As the reports continue, I find myself fiddling with my new prosthetic, my eyes wandering the room. Subconsciously, I repeatedly twist my thumb back and forth, as it has taken the place of my tendency to click pens. This goes on for several minutes until a voice snaps me back to reality.

"Agent Green." Ellis says loudly, likely for the second or third time. Startled, I twist and pull at the same time, snapping my thumb clean out of its socket.

"Would you care to share your report on your mission at the Washington Monument?" The President asks politely, in a tone that always made me uncomfortable. "Your handler, Lieutenant Kayhill, as well as Commander Schaeffer, tell me it was very successful."

My eyes quickly dart around from person to person, all staring at me, then down to my hand and severed thumb. I push the appendage into the empty socket, twisting it sharply back into place and flexing my hand for a moment. To cover my embarrassment, I open my notebook and flip to the correct page.

"I arrived at the Monument around 2100 hours last night." I read. "The Control Point appeared well defended by the Militia." I cringe as the next words reach my eyes. "I silently eliminating several of them, including my primary target, Lieutenant O'Connor of the D.C. JTF. Shortly after assassinating him, a team of Division Agents arrived, supplemented by more JTF personnel, despite there being no alarm sounded. Seeing what I would be up against, and knowing my target to be eliminated, I made my retreat. I could hear commotion coming from the Control Point after bodies had likely been found, but I was already out of sight and headed back here, arriving at the Tidal Basin shortly before 2300."

Ellis nods, then cocks his head slightly. "These Division Agents, were they Active or Rogue?"

"Active." I say with a slight nod.

"Were you at all aware of their identities?"

"The rain and darkness made it difficult to make out any identifying features." I reply slowly, shifting in my chair. "However, I suppose it's possible that I knew them. I left once they arrived, anyway."

The President hums at me, then turns his attention to Dot. "Lieutenant, does your report make mention of these Agents?"

"Yes it does."

"And Agent Green had no interaction with them?"

I flash Dot with a look of worry. _"I _knew _I was being followed!"_

Despite my concern, Dot keeps a level head.

"None at all." She says. "She got away undetected. Rather impressive, if I may add."

"Right, then I'd say Ms. Green is ready for her next assignment." Ellis looks to me. "If you had been listening to the Captain's report, you'll know about the sightings of JTF and Division presence in the vicinity of the Potomac Event Center. You will be paired with two more Agents for this operation. Mostly a precaution, as our presence there is quite substantial, but should there be an attack, it must be crushed completely. Agent Green, you and the Lieutenant Kayhill are dismissed. Lieutenant, please escort our friend to meet her team?"

"Yes, Sir. Follow me, Sarah." We stand nearly in unison and leave the room as the meeting continues.

Dot is the only one here I actually like. Nearly everyone else ignores me, or just nods and mutters "Agent." or something similar.

Some part of me hopes that this 'JTF sighting' is Kelly's team, or everyone moving on the Event Center together. The chaos of that type of battle? A perfect opportunity for someone to go missing…

Dot leads me back to the locker room, where I was the previous night, and I'm greeted by two more Rogue Agent turncoats. A man and woman, who both look up at my arrival.

"Dove." She begins. "This is Tarantula and Widow. Callsigns from here on out. Get kitted up and head to the Event Center."

"Will you be joining us, El Tee?" 'Tarantula' asks.

"Sadly no." She replies, shaking her head. "Maybe on the next one. Have fun, Agents."

"Oh we will." 'Widow' says devilishly. "So 'Dove', huh? What's your story?"

"Probably too long, given how little time we have to ready up." I say, brushing past them to my locker.

"Aw, come on." Tarantula presses. "Everyone's got a story. Widow and I? Got left behind in the New York DZ. Escaped the city, raising hell for every JTF deployment we could find. Eventually got picked up by Black Tusk after a tangle with an Agent here. 'Rocko', or some shit."

"Dude kicked our asses." Widow adds, readying her weapons, an M40A5 rifle and a Famas. "Pinned us to the wall in DZ South. We managed to disappear through the sewer. The next people we came across were Black Tusk. That was about a year ago, and we've been with them since."

"Really?" I ask cautiously. "I was in New York, too. Were you some of Vanguard's people?"

"Keener?" Widow asks. "Hell no! That dude is a lunatic. Sure, we were just as heated as the next guy about being left behind, but he wants to take over the world. I just wanted to get the fuck outta dodge."

"Well...he won't be any time soon." I say, caving into story time and picking up my KRISS Vector.

"Why?" Tarantula gives me a sideways look.

"I...well actually _we _killed him. My...old partner and I."

"No shit!" Widow exclaims. "Nice. What happened to your partner?" She asks curiously.

"We killed him, like I said. Then a year or so later, we got called down here. Some urgent communication between our field CO and a few of her friends here." I look down at my weapon. "We got jumped by Black Tusk while out and about, it was just the two of us. Ellis himself was there."

"Wait, were you the ones who grabbed him from the Hyenas?"

We leave the locker room behind, now outside in our uniforms and headed to the event center. Tarantula and Widow have similar gear to me, but they have far more of a 'soldier' appearance.

"That we were. My partner and I got all shot up, then I woke up in the Tidal Basin. She was gone."

Tarantula nods along, shooting me a sympathetic glance.

"In civilian life, we were together. She told me she loved me...more times than I can count. I thought I did, too. But she clearly didn't enough to stop them. To save me." Horrifyingly, for just a split second, I actually believe the words coming out of my mouth. I shake the thoughts off with a sigh, pulling myself back together.

"God. Listen to me." I mutter. "I'm sorry. I said too much."

"Don't worry about it." Widow waves off my concern. "We've all got a similar story. Betrayal seems second nature for the Division, doesn't it, Dove?"

"Yeah...I suppose it does."

* * *

**A/N: Hey, it's been a while since I said anything down here. In spite of Widow and Tarantula being present and later killed in the first game (I believe at the Napalm Site), I decided to have them return. Sarah isn't too bad at play acting, despite Alani's concerns. However, these actions do tend to leave a lasting mark.**

**Happy Thanksgiving, at least to my American readers. Don't be reading this at the dinner table, now!**

**Thank you for reading, and see you next time!**


	28. Operation: HOMELAND

**Potomac Event Center**

**Twenty minutes later…**

**"All available **units! PEC is under attack! Requesting immediate suppor-ACK!" A swift shot from Miller silences the soldier on his radio, but not before an alarm is tripped. A siren blares throughout the facility, making all of us flinch slightly.

"There goes the surprise." Lazka mutters.

"It was bound to happen, with the company we keep." Finnigan says, gesturing to Roxwell. The taller Agent thumps Ant on the helmet and continues past, opening the way for the Militia team that came along.

"I for one think that Roxwell is doing a wonderful job." I say happily, allowing the Militia to take the lead.

"Of course you do." Finnigan jeers.

"As are all of you." I continue, seeing the Agent in question grin at me.

Our banter is cut short by gunfire. A cascade of it, far too close for comfort. We arrive in the next room to find the Militia pinned down, several of them are already dead and the survivors scramble over each other looking for cover.

"Rogue Agents!" One man shouts. "Run!" Instead of running, we advance further, returning fire to the suspected Agents.

"Rogues?" Roxwell shouts. "Working with Black Tusk?"

"Reminds me of LMB back in New York." Miller calls back. "Good times."

A cylindrical object is suddenly thrown into the room, landing just a few feet away from me.

"Grenade!" I scream to my friends. "Get awa-!"

*BANG!*

When my eyes open again, I find myself on the floor in a fetal position of sorts. Vision blurry, ears screaming, I fumble around for a weapon. Around me, the few surviving Militia fighters are gunned down by the Rogue Agents. As I reach for my M16, the barrel of a gun is shoved in my face. My hearing slowly returns, and in a panic I push my own gun away, holding my hands up in terror.

"No no!" I plead with the Agents, all three of them toting red Smart Watches and Black Tusk-looking outfits. "Please don't…"

"Fan out." The leader barks, before kneeling down and getting in my face.

"Please..."

Instead of shooting, the Agent simply looks me over for a moment, before looking up at her companions.

"Hey T." One says as she approaches Roxwell. "This guy looks familiar." As he reaches out for his gun, the Rogue stomps on his wrist. He tugs on her foot for a moment, before reaching back for his machete. The Rogue on top of him reaches down and grabs his arm, twisting it behind his back. "Rocket!" She says happily. "It's been too long, old friend!"

The one called 'T' lingers close to Miller and Lazka, seemingly admiring how close they are to each other.

The leader suddenly grabs my hand and rolls me onto my stomach, holding my hands to the back of my head and kneeling on my back.

"Don't do this. Please…" I continue to whimper helplessly.

"Trust me." The Rogue leader whispers into my ear, her voice sounding strangely familiar.

Before I can question it, she stands.

"T. Ties?"

"On it. Call it in, D."

T comes over and grabs my wrists, beginning to tie them together.

"Shadow to Control. Priority message." The leader, D, says into her radio.

_"Send, Shadow."_

"JTF HVTs in custody. Militia eliminated, but Tarantula and Widow are KIA."

"What?" Tarantula asks, looking up, only to be shot square through the head by D.

"Hey!" Widow calls, turning away from Roxwell and aiming at D, but she's gunned down as well. The room is silent for a moment, all of us waiting for something to happen. Suddenly, the zip tie around my wrists is cut off and I'm rolled over again, face to face with the Rogue leader who just killed her squadmates. She holds up a hand calling for quarter, then pulls down her face covering.

Finally, I can match the voice to the face.

"Sarah?" I ask hesitantly. The Rogue simply smiles and offers a hand to stand.

**"Long time, **no see, Kelly." I say warmly. She jumps up at the sound of my voice.

"It IS you, Sarah!" The young guardsman exclaims excitedly, wrapping me in a tight hug. Behind her, Miller helps Lazka to her feet, as does Upton with Roxwell. "Jay is going to be thrilled!"

"I know she will." I grunt, slowly being squeezed by my friend. "Okay...Kelly...Kelly!" She finally lets go of me.

"Sorry!"

"In fact...Jay already knows."

"How?" Roxwell asks.

I look down at Tarantula, then at Widow, then at my friends.

"You're going to find out anyway, so I'll just tell you now. I was at the Washington Monument."

The bomb drops. Kelly glances at Roxwell, who looks at me demandingly.

"_You _killed O'Connor? And those Militia members?"

"Yes." I say with a deep sigh. "Only to keep Black Tusk happy. My handler was shadowing me the whole way, and would've likely killed me if I tried to make nice with the Militia. Jay found me after you all arrived, but for whatever reason, my handler didn't report it. Maybe she didn't see it? The grass was pretty high…"

Roxwell nods. "I like to think I know you, Sarah." He says. "From what I _do _know, you wouldn't do something like this out of free will."

"_This_, on the other hand…" Miller points out, gesturing to Widow. "I'm sure was free will."

I nod. "Black Tusk sent us here to defend this place, and to kill you if we needed to. But all this chaos? Things don't always go according to plan."

Widow suddenly stirs from her position on the floor, fumbling around for a weapon. Roxwell instinctively pulls Lazka away from her and approaches, kicking her Famas away.

"Widow, isn't it?" He taunts. "A pleasure to see you again."

"Fuck you." The Rogue coughs, opening her eyes and glaring at me. "Dove." She growls. "I knew something would happen. You've grown too attached to these...thes-"

"Shut up!" Roxwell grabs the collar of her chest rig, pulling her up onto her knees. She's clearly in quite a bit of pain, with two .45 ACP rounds in her body. Widow falls down to all fours, coughing up a bit of blood.

"A shame our reunion must be cut so short, Widow." The towering Agent sighs, readying his machete. I step to the side and light a cigarette as he does so.

"But as they say, it's only cruel to prolong an animal's suffering."

"Rocket...hold on a sec, bud." Widow looks up at him, holding out a hand and asking for mercy. "Hold o- nonono… wai-!" Roxwell's blade comes down, slicing the Rogue Agent's head clean off.

"Hah...poor form to leave a job half finished." The man says, cleaning off his blade.

_"Shadow? Control. Confirm...did you say KIA on Widow and Tarantula?"_

"Affirmative." I reply to the radio.

_"Copy. Do you need support?"_

I look around at my friends, all of them readying weapons. Roxwell loads his MP5 and nods at me.

"Yes. Yes, support would be nice. To take care of these prisoners, at least."

_"10-4. Demon 1-1 is en route."_

"Shadow copies all. Out." I turn to the team. "You guys should probably look the part, eh?"

Kelly flashes a concerned look. "Seriously?"

"Yes. Just trust me. You guys sit there, hands behind your back, pistols concealed but ready. Roxwell, play dead over here."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Sarah."

"Just follow my lead, wait for my signal."

Moments after everyone is in position, Demon arrives, instinctively looking around for targets . After a sweep, they only find me and my 'captives'.

"Shadow?" The team leader asks, his voice matching one of the people from the meeting earlier in the day.

"You must be Demon." I reply. "Welcome."

"Yes." The boss and his men look around, somewhat confused. "What happened to them?"

"We thought the prisoners were under control." I explain, stepping over Roxwell. "Then this guy got a little rowdy." As I pass, I slide a pistol towards him with my boot. "Killed Widow and Tarantula before I could react. Got him in the end, though. Quite a performance, I might add."

"Control said you were in trouble. What's so urgent?"

I take a long drag from my cigarette, blowing out a long cone of smoke and holding my arms out.

"The show of course!"

Roxwell is the first to react, picking up the pistol I kicked to him and shooting the commander dead. The others open fire next, quickly gunning down the unsuspecting Black Tusk soldiers.

**"Man, I love** show business!" Sarah says enthusiastically as the last man falls. At the comment, I eye her with a confused look and move to help Finnigan to his feet.

"Good trick, Sarah." Roxwell says as he stands. "Unorthodox, dangerous, and a bit callous, but still a good one."

"Hey, if it works, it works." The Agent in question replies simply, looking back to us. "We'd better get going. Control will probably be checking in with them soon." She gestures to the deceased Agents and soldiers strewn about the room before readying her weapons.

"The others are this way." Roxwell guides Sarah out into the hallway. I look to Finnigan with an expression of concern.

"Does Sarah seem a bit...off to you?"

He shrugs. "She's clearly been through alot. Capture, imprisonment, then forced to kill Militia fighters and JTF soldiers? That'd fuck anybody in the head." We begin to follow the rest of the team, looking around at the members of the Militia who were killed by Sarah's Rogue team. "Maybe being back with us will help her?"

"I hope so." I say simply, trying not to think about the carnage around us.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**Black Tusk H.Q.**

**Communications Room**

**"God-fucking-DAMNIT!" **An enraged Commander Schaeffer bellows, ripping off his headset and throwing it across the room. Dot quietly removes hers and eyes him with a neutral expression, as if Sarah's betrayal didn't faze her in the slightest. Bardon, after pacing back and forth in an attempt to calm himself, turns his attention to the Rogue's former handler.

"This is on you, Lieutenant." He says in a low voice. "I hope you're aware of that. As head of the 'Operation: HOMELAND' project, your job was to keep these Agents in check. I hope you have a plan, now that all of them are gone."

"I do." Dot says with a nod. "I'm just surprised you didn't see this coming, Commander."

Schaeffer snorts at her. "Of course I did. It doesn't make me any less angry that it happened. Dove's track record was spotless with the Division. She personally killed more that a few Rogue Agents in New York. And now she's gone, as are Widow and Tarantula. It seems your project is out of subjects."

Lieutenant Kayhill looks down somewhat glumly. The Commander is right. He was right not to trust these Agents. They have so much power, so much freedom. They could pack up and go home at will, and it's no surprise that Dove did. She just had a different motivator: Love. She and Nomad are in love, and the latter believed in the Division, which is part of what kept Dove in check. It reminded Dot of why she left the military to go private.

While in Kosovo, Bosnia, and later Iraq, Sgt. Graham Midrazyk was Dot's battle-buddy. Not only that, but at some time during deployment, they fell in love with each other. In a similar way Sarah fell for Nomad; she was badly wounded in a firefight and he had discovered the feeling during her recovery.

His disappearance and later death in Iraq forced Dot to leave the Army. Everywhere she looked, everyone she spoke to, all she saw was him. It's truly devastating to lose someone when you have that type of bond with them. She hoped that no one ever had to go through that, and part of Dot wished that she had told Sarah the story, as a way to say 'Be careful with your relationship with Jaylene. Something could happen.'

Dot takes a breath and looks up at Bardon.

"I hope you have a good plan for this...problem."

"I do. Wyvern?" She says, looking back.

From across the room approaches Milla Radek, commonly known as 'Wyvern'. "Yes, Lieutenant?" She asks simply.

"As I'm sure you heard from the commotion over here," Kayhill begins. "We've lost our Division help. Two Rogues are dead, and the third left shortly after killing them."

"So, a hunt, is it?" Milla asks.

"No, no." Schaeffer says, catching on to Dot's idea. "That won't work. Even with all your guns and hardware, the Division, JTF and Militia would chew you up and spit you out before you made it past the South Lawn."

Dot nods. "Black Tusk is, regrettably, losing its foothold in D.C., and I suspect that this base will likely be the next target. You will act as our defense." She points to Wyvern directly. "As will the rest of your unit. President Ellis has likely placed himself at the top of the Division's shit-list. If they get to him…"

"They won't."

* * *

**A/N I promise the bait-n-switch Sarah pulled _totally _wasn't stolen from Advanced Warfare. Gideon did something else, you're mistaken.**

**So after a brief stint with the opposition, Sarah is back, and her 'partners' met a very glamorous end.**

**I had a blast fighting Wyvern in the game. I bet Roxwell will enjoy it too.**

**Thanks for sticking around, everyone. I feel like it's been a while since I updated this story, and I had the day off thanks to the weather, so I figured why not. I hope you enjoyed. See you next time, Agents!**


	29. Necessary Complications

**JTF Base of Operations**

**South Entrance**

**Two Hours Later…**

**"Sarah...welcome **back." Faye says happily. "I had a feeling Jay's story of where she found all that intel was a load of shit." I glance at the Agent in question, who shrugs at Sarah's look of questioning. Lau puts an arm around Sarah as we enter the White House.

"How were things while I was away?" Sarah asks. "Everybody behave?"

"More or less. Jay was the most uppity out of all of us. As was Roxwell...and me."

Sarah stops, giving Faye a quizzical look. "Is that right?"

"When we got the news...it was devastating. Jay barely made it back. A Militia patrol found her after a spotter reported someone wandering the South Lawn."

"I'll tell you later." Jay says at Sarah's look of worry.

"Then the recording." Roxwell adds. "How Ellis acted so...casually. Like killing is second nature to him."

"Sarah…" Faye begins, stopping in the middle of the hall. "Everything you had to do while with Black Tusk...it couldn't have been easy. How about you take a walk and clear your head? Take Jay, or Kelly, or go alone if you need to."

Predictably, she nods to Jay and the two head towards the North Lawn exit.

**"You know? It's **a little scary how easy it was." I say quietly once we're out of earshot.

"What?"

"The whole Washington Monument thing? The first few, I almost couldn't. But after that, it was nothing...Is that bad?"

Jay studies me for a long moment as we walk. I find myself wondering what could be going through her head. Ideas like 'Why am I talking to this lunatic? She's clearly lost it.' or 'This bitch is a traitor. We ought to hang her right now.' come and go, but my companion doesn't give any indication to what her thoughts might be.

Only when we exit the White House, and are greeted by an orange and purple sunset sky, does she finally speak.

"I don't know. Given how experienced we are, it's not surprising that it was easy. But at the same time…"

"Maybe have a chat with Doctor Mercer when we get back home?" I suggest.

Jay nods. "Yeah. Good idea."

"Hey." I pipe up, holding out my new prosthetic. "Have a look-see at this."

My partner looks at the arm, clearly puzzled. "So what? It's your arm."

"Feel it."

Jay wraps her hand around mine and almost immediately notices a difference. She begins tapping and poking various places before stopping and looking up at me. "This isn't some typical fuck around of yours, is it?"

A grin coming on, I pry off a small section of my forearm, which reveals some wiring and artificial tendons. I hold out the spot for Jay to see.

"No fuckin' way."

"A little present from Ellis." I say, fiddling with some of the wires. In doing so, one pops out, causing my fingers to spark for a moment before going limp. Watching the spectacle, Jay starts to giggle as I fumble around, frantically searching for where the wire came from. Plugging it back in, my fingers go rigid for a moment, before going back to normal. I quickly cover the spot again, sheepishly looking at my partner.

"Still getting the hang of it." I say after a moment.

"You could say that." Jay replies with a laugh.

We walk silently for several minutes, just enjoying the peace and the fact that we were together again.

**I find my **eyes lingering on Sarah for a long moment. We weren't separated for long, yet it had impacted us so much. Especially with how sudden and violent her exodus was. Despite how brief her time with Black Tusk was, my companion appears to have been changed by it. She's even more callous than usual, at least from what Kelly had said on the trip back. Privately, I hope that my absence didn't cause harm like it has in the past.

_"She doesn't seem angry about it. Maybe she's used to it? Oh God, that's even worse."_

I inwardly decide not to question it, at least not yet. Allow her to recover from her time on the dark side.

"So what's first on the 'To-Do' list?" Sarah asks. "Hit the Tidal Basin?"

"I would say take care of that." I say pointedly, gesturing to my partner's red Smart-Watch. "Maybe talk to Alani about it. Or Manny."

"Good idea. I don't want any unnecessary complications."

"Only necessary ones?" I ask as I steer our walk back to the White House.

"There are always a few."

* * *

"The only thing I can think of," Alani says. "is to find a way to redeem yourself."

Sarah rolls her eyes with annoyance. "Seriously? It's not enough that I came back, and that I only joined Black Tusk against my will?"

"Since the color of your Watch hasn't changed back to orange, I'd say 'No.' Think about it, Sarah. No matter the rhyme or reason, you joined a vowed enemy faction and murdered several civilians by their command."

My partner looks down glumly.

"Frankly, if it was _anyone _else, you'd be dead right now."

"I appreciate your restraint...I guess. Still though. Redemption? That's such a cliche, like something out of the movies."

"I recall you saying something similar about this entire situation." Faye interjects. Sarah waves her off, rolling her eyes again.

"Face it, Sarah." Alani insists. "This is the world we live in. You did some real bad shit, and there's only one way to fix it."

"Killing Ellis?" I ask.

"You didn't think I'd get off with Community Service, did you?" I slap Sarah on the shoulder at the comment.

"Doing that may counter your 'Rogue' status and bring you back into the fold."

"If ever there was a business that needs a customer service hotline…" Sarah grumbles, causing me to look at her in disbelief. Why is she being like this? Going Rogue is a big deal, and it's as if she doesn't care. Granted, Sarah has always tended to lean towards jokes and sarcasm even in serious situations, but this is really pushing it. She killed all those people at the Washington Monument and the Event Center. She nearly got Roxwell and Kelly killed, lost an arm during Ellis' betrayal, was missing for several weeks, and she acts like nothing happened.

"Regardless…" Faye says, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Before any action is taken against Black Tusk, we'll need some reconnaissance of their base."

"No need." Sarah replies, tapping the side of her head. "It's all here. I've been there, remember?"

"Ah, then I assume that means you know about all the defense emplacements, every exploit, every possible entry method, every inch of the grounds and interior, _and _that you'll know exactly where Ellis, Schaeffer, Kayhill and Radek will be. Is that it?"

My partner looks at Faye blankly for a moment. "Well, when you put it that way…"

"That's what I thought." Faye looks down at the D.C. map on the table. "The only place where we can find at least _most _of that information...is here." She points to the area designated 'D.Z. South'. "The west wall of D.Z. South has several buildings that are just high enough that you can see over and into the Tidal Basin. According to scout reports, the place is lousy with Outcasts and fuming with DC62 gas, so be extra careful. Sarah, I'd get kitted out, unless you want to stick with your new gear. Jay, take Kelly and Roxwell with you. The rest of us will keep tabs on Black Tusk activity outside the wall. If it's war they want...it's war they'll get."

* * *

**A/N- Happy New Year, Agents! Sorry this chapter took so long to come out. Blame it on a combination of writers block, binge watching The Mandalorian, and doing so on a new Disney Plus account.**

**Sarah has her work cut out for her, and she's not exactly thrilled. The gang doesn't seem to like the new Sarah. Hopefully she'll be her old love-able self again soon. We'll have to see.**

**So it seems as though the entire Australian continent is on fire at the moment. I know some readers are from there, so I really hope all is well for you. Check in with a comment to let us know. I worry, ya'know?**

**Thank you all for reading, and see you next time!**


	30. Enemy of my Enemy

**RE-UPLOAD**

**Dark Zone South**

**United States Holocaust Memorial Museum**

**Pfc. Garrett Parker**

**Virginia Army National Guard**

**3 Hours Later**

_Dear Mr. Fantasy_

_Play us a tune_

_Something to make us all happy_

_Do anything to_

_Take us out of this gloom_

_Sing a song_

_Play guitar_

_Make it snappy_

**"How's things **up here?" I ask sniper, lookout and best friend, Sgt. Rose Li. Looking out at our surroundings from the museum roof, I kneel down next to Rose, who is in a prone position behind her L96 rifle.

"All quiet." She says, turning down her small radio. "No Outcasts today."

"Oh, we'll see them, I'm sure." Adjusting my respirator, I look out over the street again. Once busy with traffic, now an ocean of abandoned cars. "You hear the El Tee wants to take another shot at a break out?"

Rose huffs and shakes her head. "Fat chance of that."

"Don't think we can do it?"

"No. I've lost all faith in that idea." She takes her eye away from the scope and looks back at me. "We've been trapped here how long?"

I perform a mental tally. "Two years? Give or take."

"Precisely. Other than those Division Agents having a spat a few months ago, there's been no friendly faces around. Every time we've tried, the Outcasts ambush us at that intersection there. No matter how prepared we think we are, no matter how hard we hit that little camp of theirs, we get crushed. There aren't many of us left, Gaz." Rose pushes away from her rifle and sits up. "We're never getting out of here."

"Start talking like that, and we've already lost."

"It was sealed ever since Rossland came up with the brilliant idea of scavving for extra guns before getting to the extraction." Rose snaps. "In that time, our thirty have been cut down to twelve. _Twelve_. Our only hope now is that the Outcasts or maybe Hyenas decide to show some empathy, and we know how good they are at doing _that_."

"I'll never join them." I declare. "And you won't either."

"We might not get a choice."

Before I can protest, we are interrupted by gunfire being exchanged somewhere close by.

"That's close." Rose confirms, picking up her rifle and moving in the direction of the firefight. She lies down again, looking through her scope.

"I see some Outcasts. Figures. Can't tell who they're shooting at." I pick up my friend's pair of binoculars and try to find what she sees.

Down 14th Ave., in the direction of the gate that has been taunting us all this time, a large pack of Outcasts open fire on...someone. Appearing overwhelmed, a few begin to retreat. Close behind is the first of the attackers, wearing a respirator, backpack, and toting an ACR.

"For scavvers, they've got some nice gear." I remark.

"Wait a sec…" Rose says, adjusting her scope again. "That watch...is it orange?"

"Division?" I ask hopefully.

The Agent stands again, blasting away at an Outcast Thrower. He drops his lit molotov, engulfing himself and a nearby Controller in flames.

"Got another one." Rose says. "From the JTF it looks like. And…..oh boy."

"What?"

"The other Agent, in the back. With the machine gun?"

"Uh oh." I say as we exchange glances. I look back to the fight first, seeing someone running towards the Agents.

"Rusher!"

"I see him."

* * *

***BOOM!***

"Who shot that guy?!" Kelly shouts over the gunfire, blind-firing over the taxi we're using as cover.

"Dunno!" Sarah calls back. "But they don't like the Outcasts. Enemy of my enemy, right?!" She kneels down lower, taking a break from the long burst she just dished out. "I see an America unafraid of beauty and grace!" My companion screams at the Outcasts. "But you beasts aren't helping!" She pushes herself back up, lifting her SAW and opening up again. The few Outcasts who felt brave enough to peak over their car quickly duck, likely trying to figure out a way to get around Sarah's gun.

Oddly, it feels like someone is helping us from somewhere…

* * *

**"Nice shooting." **Gaz says as I reload my rifle. Each of my shots has at least incapacitated or seriously injured an Outcast, and at most blown a few up from a Rusher's bomb. My sights linger on the supposed 'Rogue' Agent, but despite suspicion, we are very relieved to see them.

"Head downstairs." I say to my partner. "Tell Rossland we may have help."

Garrett drops the binoculars and excitedly retreats to the stairway. In the street below, the last Outcast to survive the ambush has the Division team pinned with his machine gun. He stops firing for a moment and appears to begin shouting at them, likely angered at the loss of his friends. My crosshairs settle on him, finger resting on the trigger.

* * *

**"The fire of **a THOUSAND Suns will burn this city to the ground! Along with all of- *BANG*.

Jay and I look at each other for a moment, then I peek up to see the last Outcast collapse. I slowly rise, unsure if the hidden sniper will gun me down next, but am instead greeted by silence.

"I think it's over." I say quietly. Jay stands next, looking around at the nearby rooftops.

"Who was helping us?" She asks.

"No idea."

Mere moments later, my eyes spot movement on the roof of a nearby museum. A person in a very worn-looking JTF uniform holding a sniper rifle waving at us.

"Up there." Kelly observes, waving back. The figure on the roof waves us forward and gestures to the front entrance, before disappearing from view. Down the street, a pair of uniformed men appear, waiting for us.

"These guys look like True Sons." Jay says worriedly, slowly standing.

"No." Kelly insists. "They look to me like JTF guys who tried setting up an outpost and got left behind."

"So are they good abandoned JTF or bad abandoned JTF?" My companion asks.

"Well, they won't shoot us on sight if that's what you're asking."

"Good enough for me." I say with a shrug, climbing up and over our cover.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

**D St. Southwest**

**Southwest**

**Lazka**

"Hope the Outcasts aren't giving the others too much trouble." Upton says from the tail end of our patrol through the neighborhood. Aside from some gunfire heard from the other side of the Quarantine Zone walls, nothing interesting has happened.

Thanks to the Offensives launched against the True Sons, we haven't seen many of them in what was once a high traffic area. Even the Castle has been able to pick itself up off the ground, much to our surprise. The DC62 chemical's presence has been greatly reduced, likely thanks to the several recent rain storms, and some members of the Militia were there as we passed, cleaning up the mess.

"Haven't seen the True Sons in a while." I muse, hearing the others murmur in agreement.

"Well, we are pretty close to the DZ." Miller says. "Not exactly prime real estate."

"I wonder if we'll find any?" Finnigan asks.

"You won't have to look far." Says a voice up ahead. Everyone instantly takes up a fighting stance.

"Who said that?" I bark, having taken the place as the patrol leader. "Come out where we can see you!"

Two men quietly emerge from a nearby alley, weapons holstered and hands up.

"Uhh...names David." One says awkwardly after a moment of tense silence. "This is my friend James. We overheard your conversation and felt we should introduce ourselves."

"What do you want?"

"Well...not everyone liked what General Ridgeway was doing in the...latter stages of his life. In our unit there have been talks of trying to make peace with the local Militia, possibly return to the JTF."

"Hold on." Miller pipes up. "You're saying you want to surrender to us?"

"Yes." James says with a nod.

I exchange glances with the men behind me. "How many are you?"

"About twenty in total. We made a small base out of the hotel a few blocks that way." David gestures behind him. "Our CO, Captain Parker is there. If you'd like you more than welcome to follow u-"

"We aren't following you anywhere." Miller cuts the man off. "You stay here, and your friend can go get your boss. We'll talk here."

David nods in understanding and turns to his friend. "Head back and grab the Cap. Tell him we have an out." James backpedals a few paces before turning around and hurrying off. I turn to my comrades and gesture to lower their weapons, then look back to David, who looks genuinely happy to get to talk to us.

* * *

**DZ South**

**Holocaust Memorial Museum**

**Jay**

**Ten Minutes Later**

**"Didn't think we'd **find someone here who wasn't trying to kill us." Sarah remarks, still receiving sideways looks from many of the JTF soldiers inside the building. She wrote it off as them not seeing any friendly faces in a long time, but I have a feeling it's something else.

The two men who greeted us lead our group to an information desk area, where a small gathering has formed around a map of the Dark Zone. One of the men looks up as we enter.

"Agents." He says with an exhausted-sounding voice. "I'm Captain Rossland, First Battalion, 116th. Welcome to what's left of Able Company." He glances at Kelly for a moment, eyeing her uniform and unit patch. "I can't say _you _look familiar, First Sergeant."

"Sergeant Kelly Lambert." Kelly replies respectfully. "From the 69th. New York City."

"Hmm." The Captain muses. "I would ask what brings you here, but I'd imagine the current situation is more important."

"Actually, Captain." I begin. "It seems our missions are connected." The three of us step up to the map, Sarah taking the lead.

"A PMC group by the name of Black Tusk has taken over the Tidal Basin. They have stolen a shipment of an antiviral medicine that can combat Green Poison. Not just a vaccine...a cure." My companion's words turn a number of heads throughout the room. "We're planning an assault on their base, here, to secure the shipment. To do that, we need to perform recon from the nearby rooftops. Since none of us have been to DZ South," She glances around for a moment. "and since the only one who was isn't here, we're hoping you can help us with that."

Rossland scratches at his unkempt beard for a moment.

"The Outcasts have had us pinned in here like animals." He looks around at the museum. "Over a year. Kind of ironic, given the nature of this building. We have a lookout on the rooftop. She knows all the ins and outs."

"She helped us get through those Outcasts who jumped us." I say.

"Sergeant Li!" Rossland calls out. Moments later, a pair of boots bound their way down a flight of stairs. Rounding the corner is the same sniper we saw on the roof, carrying an L96 rifle that appears to have a distortion camouflage hand painted onto it. The many different lines and shapes make my eyes hurt, so I look away for a moment.

"Sir?" The sniper replies, rifle resting on her shoulder.

"Take these Agents upstairs. Find them the best vantage point for the Tidal Basin." Sgt. Li nods, then gestures to us to follow.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**D St. Southwest**

**Lazka**

**With Miller, Upton** and I creating a small perimeter, Finnigan sits with our True Son 'prisoner' on a park bench. The two have been chatting since James left, and there has been no sign of any elaborate trap, so I decide to return to the bench and join the conversation.

"Wow." I hear Tyler say, picking up the very end of a story David had been telling. "That couldn't have been easy to hear."

"It wasn't." David says, shaking his head. "I knew people at the Castle." He's pulled down his bandanna, revealing a fairly young looking man, likely fresh out of high school before the collapse.

"At least it was Wilson who gave the order. Taylor would've had a mutiny on his hands."

"What about?" I ask, resting my boot on the bench next to David.

"Bombing the Castle." Finnigan answers. "Apparently, not everyone was in the know."

"That was the last straw for our unit." David explains. "Breaking off from the JTF I understood. Nothing was getting done...no offense." He looks around at us.

"None taken." Tyler says with a shrug. "I wasn't here anyway."

"Yeah, well I was." I say coldly, eyeing David. "Pardon me if I find this whole situation just a bit _too _convenient."

"Trust me, I know exactly how this looks. I've seen the movies, read the books. You all think it's a trap. But this time, it's for real."

"Hey Shel!" Miller calls before I can press further. I look up at him and he gestures to a group of True Sons approaching from down the street. Nodding, I push away from the bench and follow him.

Captain Parker stands in the middle of the street with a small team in tow, including our new friend James. The Captain looks around at the group of myself, Miller, David and Finnigan that has formed.

"You must be the Captain we've heard so much about." I say.

Parker nods. "My boys were honest, I hope. Mike Parker." he offers a hand to shake, which I confidently accept.

"Shelby Lazka. I understand y'all are lookin' t' broker a truce?"

"That we are. My men and I agree that that the happenings at the Castle were taking things too far. To some extent, chemical warfare is what got us into this mess to begin with."

"Well, bio-terrorism, but I see what you mean." Miller points out.

"And that was _not _in the M.O.. We want out, but the local Militia don't seem to be interested in conversation, which to be honest isn't surprising. I've ordered my scouts to attempt peaceful contact with any Militia members, Division Agents, or JTF soldiers they find, and they haven't had much luck. And now, there's these Black Tusk folks raising Hell all over the city." The Captain shakes his head.

"Sounds to me like we share a common enemy." Finnigan points out. I remove my cap and wipe my brow with the back of my glove.

"There's a plan in the works." I begin, fanning myself with the hat for a moment. "To hit Black Tusk where it hurts. There makin' trouble with us, too. Nothin' concrete yet…"

"I'd wager that some extra numbers with military training would really help." Captain Parker says after a moment of thought. I tug my cap back on, looking up at him.

"What didja have in mind?"

* * *

**A/N Quite a few references in this one, so I'll just leave it at that.**

**I don't have much to say, except that things are coming to a head. **

**I didn't expect this fic to get to this many chapters. Hopefully that isn't turning anyone off.**

**Thank you all for reading. See you next time, Agents!**

**Edit: This re-upload removes Roxwell from the chapter, as I feel he would be better suited elsewhere in the city.**


	31. Heartbreak

**Two Blocks West**

**L'Enfant Plaza**

**Southwest**

**Roxwell**

"Amazing." Thomas says quietly, looking around the shopping center. "Just two yeahs ago, hundreds of people would've been goin' about their business...right here." He stops for a moment, then looks at me. "Eerie, ain't it?"

"Two _long _years." I say, curiously stepping into a jewelry store.

"True." My companion says with a nod. "I wonder how long it took to get to D.C.?"

"Not long at all." I, a city native, say. "First death in New York was December 8th...according to Faye, the Second Wave was activated just after New Year's...By then, half the city was infected."

As Thomas reacts to the exposition, I find myself poking through the store, with a few close friends in mind as I stop in front of a case of rings. I tap on the glass absent-mindedly, eyeing the small lock on the lid. Stepping around some shards of broken glass, I make my way towards the check-out counter.

"What're you doin'?" 'Sheriff' asks, entering the store. "Acting out the Vangelico Raid?"

"Looking for some keys." I say dismissively, rummaging through the drawers in the counter.

"For what?"

I look at Thomas for a moment, holding up a small ring of keys. "A gift for a friend."

My companion puts a hand over his heart. "How thoughtful." He says as I brush past him. "I appreciate the gesture, but this place isn't really my style. A good gift for me would be...I don't know...a gift card to a guitar shop?"

"Not you, dingus." I say, trying each of the keys on the case. "For Jay."

"Ain't she already taken?"

"Yep."

The pieces of the puzzle come together for Thomas as I finally open the case. "I'm thinking a ring for Sarah."

"Good idea. Think it'll work?"

"Absolutely." I begin to look through the display, looking at each ring closely. "Jay and I have had...more than a few conversations about her, while she was in the clinic."

"How is she now that Sarah's back?"

I hesitate before answering. "I want to say better, but…"

"Sarah changed." Thomas finishes the sentence.

"Yeah." I nod glumly. "Alot. I'm holding onto the hope that this operation helps. That working together again brings the old her back." I lift another ring into the narrow strip of sunlight before me. A simple one, with a single diamond and several more encrusted into one of the twists. It's box has a small description card, which I pull out and read.

"Platinum. Twisted vine." I say to myself. After a moment of thought, I nod, slipping the ring back into the box and offering it for my friend to see.

"Very nice." Thomas comments. "Think it's the right size?"

"Well, rings are usually worn on the left hand." I say. "And since Sarah technically doesn't _have_ a left hand anymore…"

My companion shrugs after a few moments. "They'll figure something out." He passes the ring box back. I slip the box into my backpack, closing and locking the ring case.

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**West Potomac Park**

**Dima**

"Never thought I'd see the Reflecting Pool _empty_." Faye muses as we pass.

"It's not as deep as it looks, is it?" Alani asks. "Two feet at the edges, three in the center. Give or take."

I stop for a moment, looking at my reflection in a rapidly evaporating puddle. "It makes you think of the scene from Forrest Gump." I say. "With Jenny wading through it?"

"She was pretty short." Alani points out. The walk continues, with us stopping again momentarily for Faye and Kelso to remove their overshirts. I take the time to look up at the sky, squinting at the boiling sun.

"And we thought _last _summer was bad…" Alani mutters, tying her shirt around her head to protect her neck from the sunlight. "Ever felt heat like this, Dima?"

I shake my head. "Russia is mostly known for her unforgiving winters. The south can get quite warm in the summer, though. Around the Caspian Sea."

"Ever been there?"

"No." I say simply as we resume walking. "I grew up in Volgograd. Moved to Moscow when I joined Spetsgruppa A. Got there just in time for a mission, actually."

"What was it?" Alani asks curiously.

"The 2002 Nord-Ost siege, as it was called." I explain. "Over three days, Chechen radicals held over 800 people hostage at the Dubrovka Theatre. Around 200 people were killed, including the hostage takers."

"How many Chechens were there?"

I hesitate before answering. The Russian government had attempted a cover-up, and the media had leaked tons of information at the same time, plenty of which wasn't true. However, quite a bit of it was.

"Forty." I say finally. At my friend's reaction, I continue. "An aerosol gas was used to try to subdue everyone inside, but it wasn't properly mixed. Some hostages died days later from complications."

Since Faye already knows many of my stories, including this one, Alani is very taken aback. Her attempt to process my words creates a long silence, only interrupted by the coo of a Mourning Dove.

"I...couldn't even imagine something like that." 'Knight' says after nearly a minute of quiet thought.

"I wouldn't try." I reply, voice turning somewhat cold from the direction the conversation has taken. "You aren't missing out."

"No-no I didn't mean…" Alani looks down in defeat. "Never mi- hey what's this?"

Up ahead is the unmistakable architecture of the World War II Memorial, yet oddly, there appears to be a boat in the center. Several small and medium sized boats had found a new home on land thanks to the massive winter storm a few years back, yet none had ever sunken into the ground. Alani steps onto the memorial and towards the boat.

"There's a hole here!" She exclaims. Faye and I exchange quick glances before rushing to follow. Sure enough, a large hole has opened up in what was once the Memorial's pool. It slopes down and towards the Tidal Basin, which appears to give Kelso an idea.

"I'm gonna check this out. Wait here." Before either of us can protest, the veteran Agent hops down into the muddy hole and vanishes from sight.

"She always been this...impulsive?" I ask my companion after a moment. Faye silently nods, likely cursing Alani in her head while reaching into her bag for a water bottle. She twists off the cap and takes a long sip before passing it to me. While taking a much needed drink, I glance back at where we came from. Heat waves rise off the concrete floor of the Reflecting Pool, causing the air above to shimmer and distort. The humidity creates a haze that nearly engulfs the Lincoln Memorial. All of which further emphasizes the brutal summer heat, and makes me miss Russia a little bit more.

While lost in thought, I absent-mindedly nearly finish off the water bottle. My partner snatches it out of my hand and quickly downs the remaining water, a small smirk crossing her face.

Just as suddenly as she disappeared, Alani returns to the surface, kicking mud from her shoes.

"Find anything?" I ask. "Holy Grail? Ark of the Covenant?"

The dirty Agent shakes her head, opening her mouth to speak.

"How about the Lost City of Atlantis?" Faye cuts her off.

"You're both so funny." Alani says with mock frustration. "Let's head for the Flooded Levee outpost and contact Manny. I have an idea."

* * *

**D.Z. South**

**Holocaust Memorial Museum - Roof**

**Jay**

**For the last **hour, Kelly, Sarah and I have silently been watching the activities at the Tidal Basin. The rooftop of the museum has given an unprecedented view of nearly the entire base, with the only real obstacles being the few surviving trees of the Floral Park. As the afternoon turns to evening, the sky takes on an orange-ish hue, and the break from the blistering sun is welcome.

At my side, Sarah has taken advantage of the stiff breeze in our faces by removing her mask and lighting a cigarette. I lift myself away from my scope and remove my own mask, wiping the sweat and condensation from around my mouth. I look up at my companion, with a clearly troubled look in her eyes, and sit back onto the roof. I'm sure she won't like what I have to say, so I choose my words carefully.

"Hey Sarah?" I begin.

"Yeah?" She asks quietly, not looking at me.

"I...er...have been meaning to...talk to you."

My partner looks down at me after a moment, slightly arching a brow. "What about?"

"The meeting at the White House. Before we left? What you said?"

"What about it?"

"'If ever there was a company that needs a customer service hotline.'? Are you serious? Is this just a joke to you?"

"Of course not." Sarah says defensively. "You know me. What are you talking about?"  
"Yeah, I do know you...at least I thought I did." The bomb drops.

She narrows her eyes at me. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means. You. You aren't...you anymore."

"Then who am I?"

"I don't know. A dark...twisted...different form of you. Your time with Black Tusk changed you. And not for the better."

Sarah simply scoffs. "Yeah. Being betrayed, left behind by the love of my life, losing an arm, and being told to kill my friends is quite traumatic. Thanks for noticing."

She turns back to the view, but I quickly stand and grab her shoulder. "Left behind? When?"

"In the lab?" Sarah shouts matter-of-factly. "Or were you not there?"

"I got shot too! Almost as many times as you did! Then I was knocked out and didn't wake up for the better part of an hour! You saw the tape. Nobody left anybody behind. Where is this coming from?"

Sarah looks down, as if she's just now heard herself.

**After a long, **tense moment, my eyes meet Jay's again. She appears visibly hurt by my words.

_"God...she's right. What's happening to me?" _I feel like I should explain, but don't know how. My companion gazes at me with a mixture of confusion and pain, waiting for me to answer.

"A...conversation I had with Widow on our way to the Convention Center." I say finally. "I remarked that you didn't do much to stop Black Tusk from taking me. Not that there's anything you could've done."

The still-burning cigarette in my hand burns down to my gloved fingers, the heat leaking through. In the moment, I barely notice.

"I was just so afraid that I had lost you again." I continue. "And I guess I started to believe my own words, as well as theirs. I believed my own ridiculous conclusion. That, coupled with the things I mentioned earlier...killing civilians, nearly killing you...this..._thing_." I hold up my prosthetic, and in doing so, suddenly remember my half finished smoke. I flick away the white-hot roll of paper, shaking the burning out of my hand.

_**"So that's what**_ _she's been holding onto all this time." _I watch a clearly troubled Sarah study her singed fingers for a moment, then looking back up at me with sorrow in her eyes.

"I shouldn't've put all that on you." She says sadly. "What the hell is wrong with me? You're right….I want the old me back."

"We'll get you back." I say with determination. "And like I said that night at your place, 'I'm back. And I'm not going anywhere. Because I love you.'"

I pull my Sarah in for a tight hug, which she eagerly accepts, burying her nose into my shoulder. She starts to grip tighter, trying to hide a sniffle.

"I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N Hi everyone. Been a while since I updated this story. **

**So we get some foreshadowing, and Sarah and Jay finally have an overdue conversation.**

**The mission Dima mentioned in fact actually happened. I found a few articles about it while looking through Spetsnaz 'Spetsgruppe A' history, so there's why 'Wolf' is the way he is.**

**Now you can also see why Roxwell was removed from the previous chapter. As dangerous and violent as he is, he's also adorable.**

**Thank's to everyone and anyone who is still sticking around for updates. At one time, uploads were regular, but now I'm all over the place. Being an adult isn't at ALL what it's cracked up to be.**

**Thank you all for reading, and see you next time! (Whenever that will be, right?)**


	32. The Great Escape

**15th St. and Constitution**

**Lazka**

**Later that evening**

**Washington D.C. **at night. That's the only thing I like about the city. Crickets, owls and cicadas all calling out for attention, a breeze every now and then russling the trees, a racoon or a squirrel stopping to watch us pass. I've been silently listening alongside my new companion Miller, tuning out the quiet conversations behind us. Every moment I listen, it makes me miss home a little more.

"When I was a kid, I'd be falling asleep to somethin' like this." I mumble quietly to the man at my side.

He nods. "Must've been nice. My youth slumbers were filled with city noise. Cars, planes, helicopters….I miss it."

"What? All the noise?"

"Yeah. And the people who made it. There's hardly anyone around anymore." Anthony says glumly.

I look forward and back at the empty, dim, slightly overgrown street, and can't help but agree. When the National Guard arrived, people were still around, at least to a degree. Lines of them flocked to the CERA aid stations, checkpoints, and even the airport. Two long, brutal years later, and the city is a shell of a shell. A shadow of its former self. Right now, if we stopped walking, you could hear a pin drop inside a car down the street.

"Two summers ago, no deer in her right mind would wander through here." I whisper as a doe quietly munches on a patch of grass near the Ellipse. She looks up, completely motionless for a moment, then turns away and begins to clop down the street.

"Makes me wonder if the rest of the world looks like this." Miller mutters. He looks up to wave at the Militia spotlight that settles on us from the nearby Fuel Depot.

"Picked up some friends?" The lookout asks. I glance back at our True Son turncoats.

"Yeah." I call back. "You could say that. Headed to Whiskey Hotel." The young man nods.

"Way should be clear. Go ahead."

We pass unrestricted into friendly territory. Black Tusk and stragglers from the other factions have recaptured many Control Points around the city, and White House is one of the few remaining Militia holdouts.

"That was easy." Miller says once we're out of earshot.

"The encounter at the main gates will probably be...interesting."

"Should we expect trouble from the JTF?" Captain Parker asks, as if on queue. I look up at him for a moment.

"Hopefully not." I say. "I asked Manny to wait for us at the gate."

"Ortega's still calling shots?" Parker nods for a moment. "Good. He's a good kid."

* * *

**Meanwhile**

**Division Coordinator Office**

**The White House**

**Faye**

**"And it was just**...unguarded?" Manny asks skeptically.

"Yes." Alani insists. "And ISAC's scan shows that if we burrowed just a bit farther, we'd end up right in the middle of the Tidal Basin base."

"Frankly, I don't quite believe it either." I say. "Why would Black Tusk leave the hole wide open? How could they have not seen it?"

"It is surrounded by wrecked boats and cars." Dima points out. "It's possible that no patrols have seen it. Unlikely, and lazy, but possible. We almost missed it, and we were looking for an entry point."

"We send a team through." Kelso continues. "We'd be right smack in the middle. No defenses to worry about, and the mercs will be scrambling trying to find us."

"But once it kicks off, you'll be surrounded." Manny counters. "And subsequently slaughtered. We need something else. A distraction."

"Have the Militia make a diversion at the main gate?" Dima offers. "Make them think we're duraki?"

"Those defenses?" I ask. "We'll be bringing them home in buckets. We don't have the numbers for an all out assault."

Alani growls to herself in frustration. "The place isn't Thermopylae. There has to be something."

A knock causes all of us to look up at the door. Before anyone can react further, it opens, revealing a young JTF officer. "Manny? You've been requested at the East Gate."

"This isn't the best time, Garvey." Manny replies. "Can it wait?"

"No, sir. It's Lazka. She says she's expected."

The coordinator looks down for a moment. "That's right. She is. Just wave her through."

"The guys at the gate aren't very fond of that idea." Garvey explains. "And Lazka wants everything to go smoothly."

Manny looks at all of us, then back to Garvey. "Alright. I'll be right there. Agents, care for a field trip?"

"What's going on?" Alani asks, pushing away from the map table.

"Lazka's team went out for a patrol in Southwest, and somehow managed to capture an entire company of True Sons. They've brought them back here."

Knight stops in her tracks, making Dima nearly run her over. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask." The four of us quickly make our way out to the East Gate where, sure enough, Lazka and company are standing with several True Sons in tow. A pair of Militia members stand on our side of the gate, taunting and heckling our new guests, clearly displeased at their arrival.

"That's enough!" Manny calls to them, silencing the whole gate area. "All of you!" He approaches Lazka, staring at her intently through the bars. "I suppose these are the…'friends' you told me about?" He asks.

The guardsman nods. "That they are. In fact, they turned themselves in." Manny looks at the prisoners quizzically.

"Where is your C.O.?"

"Here." A man pushes his way to Lazka's side. "Captain Mike Parker. These are my men. Everything she's told you is true."

Ortega looks from man to man, then to the gate attendants.

"Open up. Let them through."

The Militia fighters hesitate for a moment, but obey without question. The steel gate slides open and Lazka passes through, followed by her team, then the True Sons. Dima steps next to me and leans close to my ear.

"I think I found some numbers for you."

"Hey Lazka!" Alani calls. "Where's Team Rocket?"

She pauses for a moment. "They aren't here?"

"Rocket and Sheriff are maintaining a perimeter around D.Z. South." Manny explains. "What little communication we've had with Sarah's team suggests they may have trouble with an exit strategy. Thomas and Roxwell are posted at the entrance to lend a hand."

* * *

**D.Z. South Entrance**

**Dawn**

**Roxwell**

**"Anything?" **I ask, shaking off the chill from the early hour. Thomas shakes his head, sitting back from the small radio. "Nothing but static for the last few hours. There was something that sounded like an acknowledgement a little while ago, but nothing since."

I sit down next to him, feeling disappointed. "I hope the girls are okay. Bad shit happens in the Dark Zones."

Sheriff waves off my concerns. "That Sarah is one tough cookie. Jaylene, too. They'll be fine. Probably be opening the gate in just a few minutes." I nod, but still wordlessly voice my displeasure with the situation.

_"It's not just them I'm worried about…"_

"Ain't this just the thing, though?" My friend asks. "The two of us, Division Agents, on guard duty?"

I can't help but chuckle at the small irony. "Brings me back to that first winter. Huh. Two years later, we're right back where we started."

"Only this time, we're here to help people get _out _of the Dark Zone, instead of ushering them _in_."

Our banter is interrupted by a large explosion, followed by some intense sounding gunfire, all quite close to the entrance.

"That sounds real close." Thomas confirms. "Think it's them?"

"Must be."

"The perimeter guns aren't activating." He looks at me accusingly. "Didn't you set them up on your way out last time?"

"I didn't exactly have much time, given the fact that I was running for my life." I retort, picking up my MP5. "The Rogues? Remember?" Thomas simply shakes his head and readies his AUG.

"We'd better get in there. Sounds like they need an extra pair of hands."

* * *

**D.Z. South**

**Holocaust Memorial Museum - Lobby**

**Sarah**

**Half an hour earlier**

**"Okay, boys **and girls." Captain John Rossland begins. "Get ready to say 'Goodbye.' to this dump." The group, consisting of myself, Jay, Kelly, Rossland, and his men surround the large hand drawn map of the Dark Zone. A small star represents the museum, while red diamonds represent the surrounding Outcasts. A single, bold line aims for the gate, originating from the museum. These symbols and lines have clearly been erased and re-drawn countless times, as every escape attempt has failed.

All except for now.

"Agents." The Captain looks to us first. "And...Sergeant...You made those Outcasts your bitches on your way in. You'll be the tip of the spear. Parker, Li, you two will take up the rear. Provide sniper support wherever necessary. Everyone else, stay on the Agents' asses. We know what these freaks are capable of. Keep their heads down, plug gaps, don't give 'em a _second _to breathe. Agents, since you're leading the breakout, don't stop for _anything_. Kill everything in your way. Every second you're stopped gives the enemy countless opportunities to flank and gun us down." He pauses and holds up two fingers. "Two blocks. Do that _non stop _for two blocks, and we're home free." Rossland looks around at his weary-looking men. "Any questions?"

Li raises her hand. "Just one. We've tried this how many times now? Respectfully, Cap. What makes you think it'll work now?"

The Captain gives the tired sniper a sympathetic look. "A fair question, I suppose. You saw first hand what these Division Agents are capable of, Rose. With them on our side, I can say without a doubt, in a few hours, we'll all be enjoying a hot shower and a hot meal at the White House." He looks around again. "Anyone else?"

I find myself raising my hand this time. "How is it possible that these Outcasts have kept you penned in for all this time?"

Rossland sighs for a moment. "Have any of you heard Roosevelt Island?" He asks. At Jay's nod he continues. "The Outcast population here is nearly as large as there. Couple that with a small gang war between them and the True Sons, which the latter lost horribly, and they have access to weapons and gear better than ours. Only reason _any _of us are still standing is thanks to some well planned raids on some old JTF stockpiles and a few Outcast camps masterminded by Sgt. Li." He gestures to the sniper, who shrugs modestly, then back around the room again. "Anyone else? No? Let's get the hell out of here, then."

**The street is **eerily quiet as Sarah, Jay and I file out of the building. I try to keep my breathing slow, as my respirator makes it noticeably loud and labored. I take cover behind a police car, scanning the street as the Agent duo passes, then quickly move to follow. Oddly, somewhere, a quiet beeping sound can be heard, which nearly everyone appears to notice.

"Negative contact so far." Sarah says quietly. "Just keep going."

Moving towards the gate, where our firefight happened the previous day, the beeping starts to get louder. Someone in the group notices that the Outcast bodies are gone, and the beeping is getting louder.

"I don't like this." One of Rossland's men mumbles. "This is the spot where shit always goes down. Where are they?"

"They can see _us_." Sarah whispers back. "Maybe they don't like their odds?"

"Don't kid yourself, Agent." The soldier retorts. "There were thirty of us at the start. No offense, but two Division Agents don't look as imposing as a National Guard _company_."

"Point taken." Dove says simply.

"Man, I'm really not likin' the sound of that beepin'." Another man comments.

"Well, you know your way around explosives, Daniels." Says Rossland. "Go check it out."

"Explosives?" Daniels asks. "I carry 'nades, sir. That don't exactly make me EOD."

"Just do it!" The Captain hisses.

Daniels shakes his head and moves in the direction of the sound, while the rest of us continue a short distance before stopping. I take the opportunity to watch what the man called 'Daniels' is doing. He stops at the driver's door of a car, peeking inside through the shattered window.

"Yeah, I got somthin'." He says, moving to open the door.

"Tommy! Wait!" One of the men calls as quietly as possible. "Don't!"

He tugs on the door handle, causing it to open, and the beeping to suddenly speed up.

"Aw shit."

The ensuing blast throws Daniels off his feet, engulfing him and the street behind us in flames. He sluggishly rolls around on the ground for a few moments, wailing in agony, before falling silent.

"No! Tommy!" The man from earlier cries. The fire quickly spreads across the street, barring us from any hopes of retreating back to the museum. Gunfire suddenly erupts as we pick ourselves up from the explosion, and I look towards Sarah's position to find her firing from the hip at a pack of Outcasts while trying to continue to the gate. She is quickly forced into cover by the sheer numbers of the Outcast horde, howling and screaming a war cry at us while running in our direction.

"Looks like the Freaks are tired of us being here, too!" Li calls out, taking aim at an advancing Rusher. "They're fixin' to wipe us out!"

"Agents!" Rossland barks. "Push forward! Clear a path to the gate!"

**"Get out of **the way!" Sarah screams at an Outcast, blasting a 12 gauge slug into him. She continues forward, despite the overwhelming fire coming our way. I drop a Cluster Seeker on the ground and it quickly splits up, zipping away in several directions. Two or three Outcasts are thrown off their feet by the following explosions.

"Look out!" Someone yells. "TANK!"

Between Sarah and the gate, which has strangely begun to open, stands a hulking man adorned with heavy body armor and a large sledgehammer. He advances towards my companion, otherwise ignoring the gunfire coming his way. Sarah switches to her crossbow, loading an explosive arrow and taking aim.

"Outta my way, Michelin Man!" Sarah demands, firing an arrow that burrows into the Tank's chest armor. The blast makes him stagger, and only succeeds at making him angry, as he begins to charge towards my partner.

"Sarah! Run!" I cry. She wisely dashes to the side as the man swings his hammer.

"Scatter!" Sarah calls out. The Tank begins flinging his hammer at everything that moves. One JTF soldier couldn't get out of the way in time and the hammer flew his way. Sarah jumps in front of him and deploys some kind of metal shield, which the head of the hammer wedges into.

"You had a shield all this time?" I ask in disbelief.

"Stole it from Black Tusk!" My partner replies, now wrestling with the armored man over control of his brutish weapon. Freezing up in the moment, I watch the Tank let go of his hammer and reach for the shield, trying to rip it from Sarah's grasp. My companion pulls her .45 out of it's holster and empties the magazine into the towering man's helmet. Each round either bounces off or embeds itself into the visor, shattering the glass, but the man appears unshaken by this and continues to fight even as Sarah begins to swing at his exposed hands with her now empty gun.

A burst of gunfire suddenly erupts from behind the Tank, striking him in the back and causing him to collapse on top of Sarah in an armor-clad heap. Behind him, Thomas and Roxwell appear, shooting their way through the Outcasts that were attempting to surround us. I run to my companion's aid and pull the Tank off of her. In the corner of my eye, I see Thomas take aim at someone with his rifle and fire, with a large fiery explosion following shortly after.

"Like barbecues on the Cape!" He shouts enthusiastically.

The besieged JTF soldiers run past and towards the open gate, with Kelly stopping to help Sarah to her feet, then to return fire at the Outcasts close behind.

"Kelly!" My companion shouts. "Quit that hero shit! Come on!" The guardsman makes a hasty retreat towards us, with Roxwell reaching out to pull her through the closing gate. Sarah steps up and aims through the opening, firing at the Outcasts giving chase, and mowing down several before the massive door finally closes.

We had done it. What some of Rossland's men had called impossible, we did it.

"You ladies okay?" Roxwell asks with an expression of genuine concern.

"Of course we are." Sarah brushes him off. "Jay and I are Marines. We're impossible to kill. And shit, Kelly's been with us so long, she might as well be honorary." She gives the young soldier a playful nudge, making Roxwell smile.

"Hey...guys…" A voice from the crowd says. "Check it out." We all stop what we're doing and take a long look at the city.

Streaks of pink and orange paint the morning sky in a beautiful light, the rising sun just beginning to peak over the buildings. Dew glistens off of the overgrown grass across the street. I glance over at the sniper, Rose, who is the first to take off her well-worn respirator. She takes a deep breath, then nods.

"We made it, guys." She says after a moment, tears forming in her tired eyes. "We fuckin' made it."

* * *

**A/N Wow it's been a while.**

**Neither of my main fics have been updated in quite some time, I know. And that random one shot came out of left field, I know. But fear not, I'm still kicking! A few of you are friends with me on XBox Live and probably know this, but I've been distracted by binge-playing the Master Chief Collection, as well as some other games. (If anyone's interested, find me zdrfanta17 on Live and PSN, though I don't use the latter very much). Those who are, hit me up to play, ask about updates, or even to say "Hey! Put down the controller and pick up your laptop!" Procrastinators like myself need a kick in the ass every now and then.**

**Thanks to everyone still patiently waiting for updates. Adulthood is very distracting. Hopefully I'll get a schedule going again soon.**

**Thank you for reading, and see you next time!**


	33. Before the Storm

**JTF Base of Operations**

**Coordinator Office**

**Later that day…**

"I don't even know where to begin." Manny Ortega addresses the group in his office. "Shelby, your team managed to capture an entire True Son company." The guardsman in question waves him off.

"They surrendered. Willingly." She says modestly.

"Sarah, you three rescued a besieged JTF holdout. How they lasted so long is beyond me."

"We wouldn't have made it without Roxwell's help." Kelly pipes up, receiving a playful shove from her friend towering behind her.

"And Kelso, you found a way into the Tidal Basin." Alani makes a show of giving a bow to the group.

"But before we go handing out medals." Manny continues. "We still need a plan of attack. Sarah and Jay's intel have given us some things to work with, troop strength, defensive positions and such. But I'm not the biggest fan of sending our new friends into a meat grinder."

"What other options do we have?" I ask. "The place is a fortress. One way in and out, minus the one we're creating, but without the distraction, you've already said what would happen, Manny. 'Slaughter.'"

"That Parker guy seems to be on board." My companion points out. "He has the most men, other than us. They just really seem keen on helping us, probably looking for forgiveness for the mutiny."

Manny shakes his head for a moment, before looking up again.

"Alright then. Sarah, you and Lazka talk to them. There's no rush. The people you all brought in need time to rest and recover, and I want to polish this attack plan as much as possible. If this is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Faye and Alani, stay with me for that. Everyone else is dismissed."

Those leaving the room go their separate ways, but Roxwell calls me over before I can go anywhere.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to tell you...away from Sarah." He begins quietly. "I've been thinking about everything we talked about. The companionship you two have. While Tommy and I were out and about, I found you something."

Roxwell opens his backpack and produces a small box, passing it to me. Upon opening it, my eyes shoot up to him, demanding an explanation.

"Think she'll like it?" He asks, his voice almost innocent sounding.

"Roxwell, I…" I struggle to form words, the shock of this incredible gesture still not worn off. "I...I don't know what to say. This is amazing!" I look down at the ring inside the box again, finding myself being dazzled by the row of tiny gleaming gemstones.

"You kept saying you wanted to be with her forever...so I figured, y'know?" My friend says. I close the box, clutching it tightly, and reach out to pull the tall man down for a hug.

"How the Hell am I ever going to repay you?" I ask, voice choking slightly, muffled by his shoulder. Pulling away, I see the bright smile forming on Roxwell's face. He shrugs thoughtfully for a moment.

"Being your Best Man might help." He says finally.

"Deal."

**Elsewhere on base…**

**"That was fuckin' **insane." Gaz mutters, rubbing his grubby face tiredly. I silently nod, walking beside him. None of us had ever expected to see the White House again, let alone the outside world. I look further ahead, spotting one of the Division Agents who had rescued us, Sarah, I think her name is. She and her companions nearly got themselves killed trying to save us from the Dark Zone. She had said that they had had experience with places like that, but nobody thought that those two Agents would turn the tide of the battle all by themselves.

"Never thought I'd see this place again." My partner echoes my own thoughts, likely thinking of similar things.

"It looks...different." I say. "From when we were last here."

"Yeah. No sick people...less people in general."

"Wait." Says a voice off to the side. "Garrett? Rose?"

We stop and turn in the direction of the voice to see a young man mature beyond his years. He looks familiar, just missing the winterized uniform from the original deployment. There's a tense silence, before Gaz breaks it.

"Kevin?"

"Holy shit." Our old friend says in disbelief, reaching Garrett first and giving him a big hug. "I never thought I'd see you two again." He pulls away from Gaz, happily repeating the gesture with me.

"Likewise." I say into his shoulder.

Kevin pulls back after a moment. "Let me look at you." He eyes me top to bottom. From battered helmet and worn uniform, to mud-stained boots and weathered rifle.

"You got fuckin' old, Rose." He says with a warm smile.

"Hey, I could say the same to you." I say, the exhaustion having left my voice upon reuniting with an old friend.

"I'd heard that one of the groups that left the other night found survivors in one of the DZs, but...I didn't expect you guys." Kevin looks behind us at the equally battered soldiers shuffling, and limping, past. He waves to a few, counting them as they pass. Reaching a total, he appears worried at the low number.

"Where's Jackie?" He asks. "And Carlos, and Walt, and Susan?"

"Well, Susan is over there." Gaz points to the clinic behind Kevin, who turns to see the veteran soldier being hustled behind a curtain, having been wounded a few days before the escape. "The others...didn't make it."

"And...Tommy?" Kevin asks slowly.

Garrett shakes his head solemnly.

"There's eleven of us left." I say. "And even fewer are combat ready. Kinda makes you wonder if all that fanfare was even worth it."

"Of course it was." Gaz insists. "Would you really rather still be in there?"

I take another look around at the early morning hustle and bustle. Morning shift heading out to start the day, night shift turning in for some rest. The JTF sergeant that helped us escape sits with her team nearby, likely filling them in on the events of last night. A pair of Militia engineers politely push past, pointing out walls that have 'Tagged For Removal' signs on them. All in all, the White House is a mess, and the people are rag tag at best and look about as tired as we feel, but everything around us is still leaps and bounds above what we had in the Dark Zone.

"Not for a second." I say finally.

"That's the Rose I remember." Kevin says with a smile. Gaz looks at me happily.

"Lets see what this place has for food." He suggests.

"That sounds like a great idea."

**Three days later…**

**BoO Map Room**

**Jay**

**"Black Tusk is **starting another offensive." Alani says with a growl in her voice. "The Campus has been cut off. Jammers have been set up all around their perimeter, and EMP devices have been sighted."

"Now they're attacking our technology." Sarah says, so ominously that it doesn't sound real. "It's an invasion."

"We have to hit them _now_." Roxwell proclaims. "They're sniffing around the few Control Points we have left. If we wait much longer, they'll target the White House. Then, we'll have nowhere to attack from."

Manny shakes his head in frustration. "We still don't have a plan. All we have is a bunch of random pieces from a jigsaw puzzle. There's too much risk."

"Jeezus Manny, how hard is this?" Thomas exclaims, pushing through the small crowd and jabbing his finger at the Tidal Basin. "The JTF and Militia still exist, right?" At the Coordinator's nod, he continues. "We send them, and the True Sons help Lazka picked up here to the perimeter walls. Make 'em think we're stupid. Then send us through the sinkhole Faye found, blast our way in, and kill everything in our way 'till we find Ellis and his goonies. We'll bring mortars, anti-air, air support, anything and everyone that can help. They're a private company, not the Red Army." He glances at Dima for a moment, who simply listens quietly. "They are _not _invincible. We can do this."

Manny looks down at where Thomas' finger still points, thinking hard, then back up at my companion. "Sarah? Anything to add?"

'Dove' thinks for a moment. "Have our radar systems or lookouts picked up any vehicles coming in or out of the Tidal Basin?"

Alani shakes her head. "We've had constant eyes on it since movement was first detected, Plenty headed out. Nothing new coming in."

Sarah nods. "So they haven't been reinforced yet. And since all these offensives keep popping up all over the city, that may suggest that Mr. Schaeffer is running low in the manpower department." She looks around the room. "This could be far easier than we suspected."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Manny grumbles.

"At least it's a plan." I chime in.

Manny looks at me for a long moment, then around at the Agents and team leaders surrounding him.

"All in favor of coming up with something else?" He asks. The room is silent, with no movement. "And all in favor of going with Thomas' plan." Every hand in the room goes up. Ortega looks down and nods for a moment.

"Okay." He says finally. "Team leaders, get your people together, get your gear ready. We move tonight. This time tomorrow, Black Tusk will be no more."

* * *

**A/N Hi everybody. Wow it's been a while.**

**I really don't have an excuse for how long it took for this update other than writers block. I've had a flurry of ideas and they're all super distracting, so... sorry about that.**

**Speaking of ideas, I had an interesting one not too long ago. How would you, my beautiful readers, feel about turning this into a trilogy? After all, despite it being for revenge, and how far gone he is, I would think Sarah might get into some trouble for killing a sitting president. A mission to clear her name is what I'm thinking, and it might involve more Rogue Agents. (Can't reveal too much, can I?) Let me know in the comments. I could also turn it into an IP, or scrap it completely if that would be better.**

**Again, my apologies for taking so long with this. The days just kinda disappear.**

**Thank you for reading, and for any feedback. See you all next time, Agents!**


	34. The Great Crusade

**West Potomac Park**

**World War II Memorial**

**Sarah**

**Later that day…**

Under a drizzling rain and setting sun, we set out from the Levee checkpoint to the sinkhole Alani had found a few days ago. Behind us, a large force of JTF, Militia, and True Sons mutineers have assembled, all being led by Captain Blackburn, from the team we rescued from the Dark Zone. They lie in wait for our signal, which will be followed by a mortar bombardment of the compound from the Washington Monument. Once the diversion group has BTSU's full attention, our infiltrator group will blast in from below and head for the Control Center in search of Ellis, Schaeffer, Kayhill, Radek and anyone else from the leadership. Shots from Sergeant Li from her spot on a building on Constitution Ave. will help the assault whenever she can, and she'll be able to radio in incoming threats.

At least, that's the plan on paper. I personally doubt even God knows how we're going to pull it off.

Kelly, Roxwell, Upton, Thomas, Finnigan, Alani, Faye, Miller, Lazka, Jay and I enter the area of the memorial. Everything, including us, is soaked from the rain. A haunting feeling of Deja vu sweeps over me. The last time I was here, I was working for Black Tusk. I passed this place, headed for the Washington Monument.

_"At least this time, I won't be killing civilians."_ I say to myself. Shuddering off the feeling, and some excess rain water from my hoodie, I quickly move to Jay's side. She's slowed down to gaze at our target.

The Tidal Basin has been slightly upgraded. A pair of hastily constructed guard towers watch over the entrance, with search lights slowly sweeping back and forth. Jay gazes through her rifle scope and confirms that each tower has a sniper and a machine gunner.

"Think they should be hit now?" I ask. Jay thinks for a moment, before nudging Faye and pointing to the towers. The Agent in question nods.

"Those lights pass our infiltration spot too frequently for us to get in." She says. I nod and key my radio.

"Valkyrie, Shadow One." I say quietly.

_"Go ahead."_ Li's spotter Parker answers a moment later.

"We've got your first targets." I begin. "Two towers by the main gate. Two occupants in each. They'll see us on our approach. Engage quickly, suppressed weapons only."

_"Valkyrie copies all. Stand by."_ I glance back to the dark, silent buildings on Constitution Ave. Everything is quiet for a moment, before a pair of muffled gunshots fly over our heads.

**Meanwhile…**

**Sgt. Rose Li**

**OAS Headquarters Building**

**Corner of 17th and Constitution**

_**"...quickly, suppressed weapons **__only."_ Agent Green says over the radio.

"Valkyrie copies all." Gaz answers as I screw the suppressor onto my rifle. "Stand by."

Rain patters the windowsill as I rest my bipod on the table I'm seated behind. Gaz looks through his rangefinder, then points to a hand drawn map on his notepad. "Target:" He says. "Reference the main gate, four fifty, guard towers on either side." I adjust my scope. "Two occupants in each." As the lens focuses, a gunner and a sniper come into view. The gunner sits behind a minigun, leaning against it and puffing away at a cigarette.

"I got 'em." I mumble, panning to the other tower. The men inside appear to be playing a card game, one of which has his back to me.

"Take 'em fast. Fire when ready."

I focus on the card players first, who seem to be having a casual conversation judging by the body language. With my scope, I'm able to see the cards one of them has.

"Huh, pair of Queens." I muse. "He's probably about to win." As the other man begins to set down his cards, I squeeze the trigger. The bullet cracks through the air, entering the back of the first man and exiting the other. The playing cards fly around for a moment as the men fall. The first lands face down on the table, the second falls backwards out of his chair and to the floor.

"Nice shot." Gaz comments as I cycle my rifle bolt. "The other two didn't notice." I pan to the right to see the other men in the same spots they were in. Taking aim at the sniper as he raises his binoculars, my shot rings out, sailing through the night and striking the man square in the head. I quickly cycle the bolt again as the gunner looks at his dead friend in a panic.

"Down. Get the other. Fast." The gunner gazes out into the darkness with fear in his eyes, ducking next to the machinegun.

My next strike hits home before any alarm can be raised.

"All down." Garret says with a nod, turning to the radio.

_**"Shadow, this is **__Valkyrie. Targets down. Clear to proceed."_ As the words are spoken, Alani takes the lead towards the sink hole with me close behind. Suddenly, one of the searchlights pans over Alani and she freezes for a moment, causing all of us to stop and wait. The beam continues past, with no sign of response from the occupants. Jay quietly lets out the breath she was holding as we continue.

Just like the pictures showed, there was a shallow, muddy sinkhole in the middle of the World War II Memorial. We hop down one by one, with Faye taking up the rear. Before she comes down, she reaches for her radio.

"Shadow to all units." She hails the other teams. "We've reached R.V. Alpha. Disciple, prepare to advance. Excalibur, begin bombardment when ready."

_"Excalibur to Valkyrie, sending two rounds down range. Confirm splash, over?"_

_"Copy, Excalibur. Send it."_

_"Shot, over."_

The dull thump of a mortar firing passes over, then another. Followed a few seconds later by thundering explosions overhead. Some small rocks and loose soil rain from the ceiling. Up above, it sounds as though someone kicked a hornets nest into a high school gym locker room. Panicked shouting can be heard from the Black Tusk soldiers up above.

_"Splash."_ Valkyrie confirms. _"Good effects. Fire for effect, over."_

"Shadow to Disciple." Faye orders. "Begin advance. We're setting the breaching charges, over."

_"Excalibur copies. Beginning bombardment. Out."_

_"Disciple is Oscar Mike."_

"Well, here we go." Kelly says shakily.

Runoff from the surface pours into the hole we dropped into, streaming through the cave and making puddles around our feet. Shells continue to land in and around the Black Tusk compound as the Joint Task Force begins it's assault.

* * *

**A/N - Hey there folks**

**Anyone who is friends with me on Xbox Live will know that I've been playing lots of both Division games. The reason for that (and the fact that the last update was woah three months ago?!) is inspiration. Sad to say, I'm losing steam when it comes to this story. I don't intend on abandoning it by any means...There will just likely be long pauses between updates.**

**Interest sometimes withers when it comes to fiction, or it gets captured by something else. For me, that interest has drifted to (brace yourselves) anime. Yep. You heard right. Your beloved author is a weeb. The anime in question is the lovely Girls und Panzer series, which I may or may not be cooking up a future fanfic for. If anyone's interested, I have (several) chapters ready for posting.**

**Fear not. More updates for this fic, as well as the Assassins Creed one, are coming soon. Until then, stay safe and be well.**

**See you next time, Agents! **


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